


By Blood Alone

by shutter_waves_break



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bestiality (sort of), Biting, Comeplay, Cutting, Derek Needs To Use His Words, Dirty Talk, Emotional Hurt, Exhibitionism, Frottage, Future Mpreg, I will update future tags as they become relevant, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multiple Orgasms, Omega!Stiles, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Outdoor Sex, Possessive!Derek, Possessive!Stiles, Scent Marking, Scenting, Violent!Stiles, Voyeurism, Werewolf Sex, alpha!Derek, destined mates, dominant bottom stiles, dominant!derek, minor dom/sub undertones, otherwise there will be spoilers, submission top derek, submissive!Stiles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-10
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2017-12-26 04:24:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 65,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/961518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shutter_waves_break/pseuds/shutter_waves_break
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek has been gone for over a month, no calls, no texts, no notes, not even a fucking postcard, and Stiles has been bleeding out ever since.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks AsadMinQamar for being the best beta ever.

“Derek, you can’t parade around with a human for the rest of your life. You’re the Alpha. You need a mate. You need to secure the line.” 

Derek growled. “I don’t need that!”

Peter was getting exasperated with his nephew’s inability to see past his hormones. “Stiles is just a human, Derek. He’s not a wolf. You need a wolf.” 

“Stiles isn’t just a human,” Derek snapped back, but Peter could tell the argument was thin at best, and he was clinging to whatever he could to block out the truth of the entire situation. 

“He is an emissary, yes. And your emissary at that which makes it even harder to distance yourself from him. But you have to face that facts. The pack has grown, and with Scott as Alpha-“

“He is NOT the Beacon Hills Alpha, Peter. I am.” Derek’s eyes flashed red. He was one word from the tipping point. 

Peter held up his hands and took a few steps back. “I know he’s not. The pack knows he’s not. But Derek, all it takes is one push and he could easily vie for the spot. This is why you. Need. A. Mate.” 

He watched the words finally sink in as Derek’s eyes changed to back to his natural green as he slumped down the wall.  

“Stiles doesn’t want the bite, Peter. I don’t want to bite him. I don’t want to risk him dying because of this. I talked with Deaton. Just because Stiles is an emissary doesn’t make him more likely to accept the bite and become a wolf. His body could still reject it and he could die, or turn into something else. I can’t do that to him. And I can’t damage the pack by doing that to him.”

“So what are you going to do then?” Peter asked, feeling confident that Derek finally saw the proverbial light. 

Derek looked up at Peter and held his gaze. “I’m going to leave.”


	2. Screaming Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles has watched everyone he loves bleed at one point or another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger: Self harm, cutting

Stiles has watched everyone he loves bleed at one point or another. Hell, he’s even seen himself bleeding from various wounds over his body. But nothing could have prepared him for this.  

Derek has been gone for over a month, no calls, no texts, no notes, not even a fucking postcard, and Stiles has been bleeding out ever since.  

It’s a slow bleed, just below the surface, beneath his skin; but it’s not the sort that leaves a bruise visible to the outside world. 

But he feels it. Every. Single. Day.

 

\- - - - - 

 

Another month goes by. Stiles bleeds a little more. If he smells off, no one says anything. At least not to him. 

 

\- - - - - 

 

The months become almost a full year and nothing. Scott is the new Alpha, everyone has fallen in sync. There have been a few hiccups here and there, but nothing the pack can’t handle. Nothing Stiles can’t handle. 

 

\- - - - - 

 

Stiles felt it accumulate under his skin, screaming for release. 

 

\- - - - - 

 

The first time he cuts himself, it was an accident as he prepared dinner for the pack. He barely noticed until he felt a warm trickle down his palm and onto his wrist. 

He watches it; a slow ebb pushed by his pulse until the bleed slows on its own about mid-forearm. The tight feeling he’s had under his skin forgotten for a moment until he hears someone close a door and his arm goes under the running water. It’s not sanitary, but he doesn’t bother bandaging the cut. 

Over the course of a few days, he reopens the wound when no one is around. If he’s not alone, he presses down hard into it. 

No one says anything if they smell a spike of relief, or pain. Not even Scott in all his Alpha glory.

 

\- - - - - 

 

The first time he does it intentionally, he makes sure he won’t have to be around for anything pack.  

It’s a surgical 10 blade he ‘borrowed’ from Deaton’s office, still wrapped in its sterile package. Stiles washes his hands to the elbows before settling himself on the bathroom floor. 

The first cut was shallow, short, barely enough to bleed before it clotted. 

The second was deeper.  

Little by little, tension oozed out of Stiles’ body much like the blood running down his arm. He didn’t want to kill himself, not by a long-shot, but this… This was something Stiles could control.

 

\- - - - - 

 

If Stiles slept a little deeper, and didn’t wake up from nightmares, he didn’t go around talking about it. Some people noticed he looked more rested, so that was a start.


	3. In Which There Lies Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Encounters, college acceptance letters, pack drama, and normal drama. And some feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger: cutting, nothing graphic.
> 
> Beta'd by: AsadMinQamar and myself.

It all came to a head when he showed up at Derek’s apartment (although Scott had moved in after Derek left) about an hour early. The whole pack was there already judging by the shoes piled up by the door. He set down his bag and made his way into the living room where everyone seemed to be chatting away. Then he heard it.

**How’s Stiles?**

“He’s ok, sometimes. He smells off every once in a while but it might be stress from college applications. We’re all keeping an eye on him, Derek.”

“What. The ever-loving fuck?” Stiles didn’t recognize his own voice. “Are you shitting me?” Bile crept up his throat and threatened to end up on the floor. “All this time… you’ve been talking?” His head started spinning. Scott stood up and gave Stiles an accidental view of the face on the screen. Judging by the looks on everyone’s faces, Stiles had been the last to be in on the little secret. Even Allison was there. 

“Stiles, listen-“ Scott moved forward with a placating look on his face. Stiles didn’t look away from Derek’s face on the computer screen who opened his mouth like he was about to speak. 

“No.” Before anyone else could say anything, Stiles turned on his heel and was out the door. It wasn’t until he got into his Jeep he realized that he’d left his bag in the apartment.  

\- - - - -  

Six cuts on his inner thigh, one for every time since Derek left that Stiles had actually believed Derek loved him.  

\- - - - -  

At school the following Monday, Stiles acted as though nothing was wrong. He didn’t excommunicate Scott the way everyone expected, flirted with Lydia (and with Isaac too if he was honest), ignored Jackson, and bantered with Allison. Boyd and Erica seemed to be the only ones who narrowed their eyes at him, like they knew he wasn’t being honest. After spending so much time with Derek and Peter, Stiles knew how to mask certain emotions. The Adderall helped.  

Scott finally asked him the question he knew he was burning to ask after school as they studied for their Physics final.  

“About the other day-“ 

“I don’t want to talk about it, Scott. I know you’re Alpha and all, but I’m not a wolf and you couldn’t force me to talk about it even if you tried.” 

“I just worry about you sometimes, man. You smell off some days, and other days you’re normal again.” 

Stiles could tell Scott was really concerned, but there were some things he just wouldn’t understand, nor did Stiles want him to understand. He turned in his chair to look at Scott dead on before speaking.  

“It’s this whole college application thing, dude. I want to stay close but there’s a limit to my willingness to stay around Beacon Hills. I don’t wanna burden my dad, and I know you have plans to stay around since Beacon Hills is yours now.” That was all true, but he wasn’t about to fill in the rest. Not now, not ever. 

Scott relaxed, but he must have sensed Stiles wasn’t telling him the whole truth. To his credit though, he didn’t push. “Dude, don’t worry so much. I know your dad will support you, and the pack will support you. Just because most, if not all, of us are staying around here doesn’t mean you have too. You’re one of the best, Stiles, you know more shit than Deaton sometimes I swear. As long as you stay a part of this pack, doesn’t matter where you go, you’ll still belong here. We’re not going to stop needing you.”

It took every bit of manly ability he had not to fall into Scott and cry his little heart out. Scott must have sensed it because a sort of awkward silence fell over the two of them. 

Naturally, Stiles had to comment. “So, is this the part where you get down on one knee? Cuz I thought you and Allison were for sure-“ He didn’t get a chance to finish the sentence before Scott hit him with his pillow.  

“Shut up and study, douchebag. I hate Physics and I want to pass this final with a C minimum.”

\- - - - - 

Summer was almost at an end and Stiles hadn’t needed his ‘fix’. After his heart to heart with Scott, and finishing and mailing his college applications, he felt better. His dad noted a marked difference. No one in the pack said anything, although he could still feel the gazes from Boyd like he just _knew_. 

He’d decided on U of C Los Angeles. Not out of state, but not exactly driving distance for a weekend trip. After writing tons of letters and essays, filling out countless scholarship forms, and busting his ass working odd jobs all over Beacon Hills, LA had offered damn near a full ride provided he keep his grades at a minimum 3.0 throughout his time there and participate in some extracurriculars. Stiles wasn’t about to complain. He graciously accepted and waited to tell his dad when he got home from his shift.

What he hadn’t planned on was showing up at Scott’s and seeing the pack there, surrounding one Derek Hale. So Stiles did what he did best: ignored the giant elephant in the room and acted as though nothing was off.  

“Hey, bad time? I could come back later but I got plans so…” He looked at Scott and gestured to the door. He also neglected to mention what his ‘plans’ were. No reason to be forthcoming. 

Everyone, except Derek who chose to stare at the sofa, stared at Stiles like he had just walked in on a gangbang without an invitation. It took Scott a minute to move.  

“Uh yea, sorry we just weren’t expecting you today.” There was a slightly nervous lilt to his tone as he stepped out of the room. Stiles was aware everyone could hear their conversation, but Scott was his friend first. It seemed weird telling the rest of the pack about his college plans without prompting. 

“I had news, and I had to pick some stuff up from the store. LA gave me a full ride!” 

Scott’s eyes lit up. “No shit, dude! That’s awesome!”

Stiles grinned. “Yea man, well, its almost a full ride. I have to cover some costs but it is so much better than paying for everything out of pocket. I just gotta maintain a 3.0 and do extracurricular stuff to show I’m ‘a part of campus diversity’.”

Scott laughed. “See if they have a Wiccan club, I’m sure that’ll cover the diversity.”

“Yea, right. I want to be a part of the crowd, Scott. Not skirt the edges wearing black and hugging trees.” He rolled his eyes. But deep down, Stiles didn’t think it was that bad of an idea.  

“You said you had plans later?” Scott asked. “We were gonna go to a movie tonight if you-“ 

Stiles shook his head. “No, not tonight. Next time though. I gotta get some stuff done before dinner. I’m moving at the end of next week. If you and Allison feel like a road trip you guys should totally come with.”  

“Sure thing, man. I’ll talk to her tonight.” 

“Alright cool.” He saw Scott shift a little uneasily. The others were probably saying something in whispers not meant for Stiles’ ears. “So I’ll let you get back to pack business, and I’ll see you later.”

Watching Scott retreat back into the other room, Stiles waved. “I’ll see you guys around!

He didn’t stick around for a response.  

\- - - - -  

He knew it was childish. He _knew_. But it didn’t stop him from lining various parts of his house with a line of mountain ash. Just in case.  

Scott would call, and no one else really showed up uninvited. Isaac did sometimes, but he always texted to make sure it was ok if he came over. Isaac spent a lot of time with Stiles in the initial months, but that dwindled over time. Stiles realized it was probably because Isaac was crap at keeping secrets from him, especially regarding Derek. If he was honest, Stiles was amazed the guy didn’t just spill over breakfast one morning after having spent the night.  

He didn’t blame Isaac; he really didn’t blame any of them for what they did. Derek was ‘technically’ the Alpha, and he probably left everything to Scott with the understanding that no one uttered a word to Stiles. For reasons Stiles didn’t understand. At all. He tried not to dwell on it, but just knowing Derek was back in town made his brain go a little haywire.  

Hence, the mountain ash. Last thing he wanted was to be sitting in his room half naked and have Derek climb through his window.  

Not that Derek would do that since he left without a word and led Stiles to believe that he actually loved him when really Stiles was probably just a convenient fuck while he looked for something more serious. Stiles wasn’t a wolf, and Derek needed a wolf in his life to- 

Stiles sat up so fast he made himself dizzy. No. It was just a stupid idea. There’s no way Derek would keep something like that from him.  

\- - - - - 

Several hours of research later, Stiles knew more than he ever really wanted to know about wolf mating rituals and all that it entails. In order to solidify their leadership of their pack, Alpha wolves have to take a mate equally ready to defend the pack should the Alpha come under attack. The mate also had to be able to bear the Alpha offspring. Usually, mates were Omegas since they were the most fertile but it wasn’t unheard of for an Alpha to mate a Beta. Isaac was an Omega, but Derek never showed any interest in Isaac or visa versa.  

There were details that varied from culture to culture about mating rights and all that finer details, but that was the general idea. Alpha wolves had to mate wolves that would support the pack and provide offspring so the line kept going. More puppies, more respect. It didn’t matter if the wolves were born or turned, the Alpha would naturally find his mate by scent and let mating rituals commence.  

Derek left because he needed a mate. And now that he’s back it means he probably found one. 

Stiles doesn’t cry himself to sleep. He stopped doing that a long time ago. But in the morning, he has four new cuts across his left ribcage.  

\- - - - - 

“Stiles!”  

“Morning to you too, dad.” He almost fell down into his chair and leaned over the plate of eggs and turkey bacon. 

“You look like hell, son. I’d hoped you would have started sleeping better now that this college acceptance/scholarship business was taken care of.” 

Stiles grunted. If only. “I was up late making a list of stuff I need, and how moving is going to go. I asked Scott to come with Allison, make it a weekend trip.”

When his dad didn’t respond, Stiles risked a glance up and saw the Sheriff staring at him. And he just _knew_. 

“I heard through the police grape vine that Hale was back in town.”  

Stiles felt the knot in his stomach return. “Oh yea? I think Scott mentioned it.” 

The Sheriff sighed. “I’m not stupid, son. I wasn’t born yesterday although you might like to think so. I don’t butt into your business often, and when I do it’s for good reason.” 

He wanted to snort, but he knew his dad had a point. He didn’t meddle often, and Stiles was eternally grateful for the leeway he got with certain things. Especially since he and Scott’s mom were in on the whole ‘supernatural in Beacon Hills’ agenda.  

“Stiles, since Hale left you haven’t been quite the same. I know Scott and the others worry, and for a time you got better. Like a lot better. And last night at dinner it seemed to all come down again. So please, I’m asking you: is there anything you need to say? You won’t get any judgment from me.”

Stiles held his dad’s eyes for a long time. He played with the idea of coming clean with everything right then and there, but he figured his dad wouldn’t truly understand, and would more than likely be grossed out by the whole thing. So he kept it as simple as possible. 

“Derek left without a word, but he was keeping in contact with everyone in the pack BUT me. I found out by accident because I showed up to a pack meeting a little early and say him and the others Skyping. I got over that, or at least I was making headway until I found out last night he’s back in town and in his old place. I was in love with him, dad, and part of me still is.” He saw his dad tense up, but he pressed on.  

“Before you say anything about the age and werewolf thing, I know. Believe me, I know. I told myself he loved me too, and maybe on some level he did, but not anymore. I AM younger than him, and I’m also not a wolf, so that makes any kind of relationship rather moot. And before you freak out, no, I didn’t offer to become a wolf by being bitten like Scott was. Most times that goes horribly wrong and I’m not really down with being something other than Stiles.” 

His dad looked at him for a long time, but the tension seemed to leave his shoulders. 

“So yea… There it is. The past year in a nutshell. I’m sor-“ Stiles didn’t get the chance to finish before his dad pulled them both out of their seats and into an embrace reminiscent of the one he got after his mother died. Some things were better left unsaid, while others didn’t need words to be spoken. 

\- - - - - 

Scott came over later in the afternoon to help Stiles pack and figure out just how much he needed to take to school with him. 

“LA’s just over 5 hours man, you don’t wanna forget something and then have to make the drive.” Scott pouted, looking at the general chaos of Stiles’ room. 

“Scott, seriously. If I REALLY need something, I can have my dad overnight it. I’m sure Deaton knows fun ways of packing mystical items too. But I highly doubt I’ll need any of it in LA. I’d be more worried for my personal safety rather than the supernatural.” 

After a few more hours bickering over the necessity of wolfsbane and mountain ash, Stiles threw up his hands and declared it was time for food. Scott’s stomach growled empathically. 

“The diner?” 

“The diner.”

\- - - - - -  

Scott must have had this entire excursion preplanned or something because Erica, Boyd, Isaac, Allison, and Jackson were all in the largest booth they could find. Stiles sat down next to Scott and was immediately boxed in by a very anxious looking Isaac.  

“So LA huh?” he mumbled. Stiles could tell the guy was not taking the news well. 

“Yea, they have a good Life Science program and its not that far from here. I’ll come home and you can come and visit whenever you want.” He wrapped an arm around Isaac’s shoulders to drive the point home, and that seemed to let some of the tension ooze out of his body. Isaac leaned closer and Stiles felt like this might be bordering on socially inappropriate until someone cleared their throat and Isaac sat up ramrod straight. 

“Oh, I didn’t realize-” 

“I invited him.” Scott defended. “We’d been packing all day and got hungry.”

Stiles narrowed his eyes and cast a look at Scott. Scott ignored him.

“Have a seat, Derek,” Erica chimed in, sliding over and pushing Boyd further into the center. Being caught almost exactly in the middle, Jackson looked murderous. 

Everyone sat in uncomfortable silence until the waitress came over to get orders. That seemed to break the ice for a little while, until Erica said,

“So Derek, you gonna be moving back into your old apartment now that Scott is going to college?”  

Stiles kind of wanted to choke on his tongue. He’d spent a lot of time at that apartment. A lot. None of the furniture had been changed when Derek left and Scott just sort of transitioned in leaving everything the same. It hurt Stiles for a long time, being there and smelling Derek on everything, but gradually everything sort of started to smell neutral. He hadn’t thought about it before, and now Derek would be moving into an apartment that smelled a lot like Stiles. He was stuck between wanting to stick out this conversation, or just have the floor swallow him up. College be damned.  

When Derek didn’t respond right away, Stiles chanced a glance up and noticed Derek’s heavy gaze on him. _Floor, commence swallowing_.  

“There’s no point in leaving it. And all my stuff is still there. I like that space.” 

The waitress returned with food and Stiles thanked the diner gods for hearing his pleas. The subject wasn’t brought up again for the rest of the outing.  

When it came time to leave, Stiles made to pile into the car with Scott so they could go back to Stiles’, but Allison who came over with Isaac already claimed him for the rest of the night.  

“He’s been with you all day, Stiles. And we’re going with you when you move to UCLA.”

“Can he at least drop me off at-?” 

“I can take you.” 

Stiles really didn’t need this happening to him right now. Really. He would take making out with Coach Finstock under the bleachers and have pictures posted online rather than sit in the car with Derek. He would make out with JACKSON. 

He didn’t turn around, but he could feel Derek’s eyes on his back. He wanted to call his dad to pick him up. He wanted to call over to Isaac but he was already in the car with Jackson and Erica and Boyd were nowhere to be seen. Walking home wouldn’t take too long. Maybe an hour or two. It looked like rain. A little rain wouldn’t kill him.  

“Allison, if he needs a ride home…” Scott looked desperate, and Allison bit on her lower lip. Stiles could tell she was looking at Derek. Stiles just stared at nothing.  

“Fine.” Turning on his heel and heading to Derek’s car. 

\- - - - -  

The car ride is mostly silent save for the incessant changing of radio stations by Derek. 

In the past, Derek would settle on something Stiles liked and then pull his hand over into his hand and hold it there for the rest of the trip. Even if the trip was silent. Now, Stiles has his arms crossed and Derek is fiddling with the radio. Stiles wants to slap his hand and tell him to leave it, but that would require communication and physical contact.  

“Stiles-“ 

“No.” 

“But you’re not-“ 

“No.” 

“Stop-“ 

“No.” 

Stiles is all to aware of how ridiculous he sounds. He might as well be strapped into a booster seat at this point. Its hard enough sitting in the same space as Derek, in a car that smells of Derek, with memories of him and Derek all over it.  

He heard a harsh sigh. And no, Derek does not get to act like the wronged party here. 

“Stiles…”

He doesn’t respond. It’s maybe another five minutes until they get to his house. He can walk if need be. 

“I know I don’t deserve it-“ 

“You’re right, you don’t.” 

 “-but can I have a chance to explain? Please?” 

It’s the ‘please’ that does Stiles in. A knot is forming in his chest, another one in his throat, and dammit Derek doesn’t get to sound torn apart when Stiles was the one dealing with the aftermath. Stiles was left bleeding, and everyone else stayed in contact while Derek was off finding a suitable mate since Stiles just wasn’t it. He doesn’t want to listen. He doesn’t want to care. He didn’t ask for any of it.  

He doesn’t realize they’ve stopped in front of his house until he feels Derek unbuckle his seatbelt. He wants to get out of the car and slam the door by way of response. 

“Give me some time to adjust.” He glances up at Derek’s face and immediately he wishes he hadn’t. Derek looks pained, the way Stiles feels but hopes he isn’t showing. There was a time when Stiles would have leaned across the seat and kissed Derek’s mouth, curling a hand into his thick hair before deepening the kiss. There was a time when Derek made Stiles feel like he was all he needed to survive. 

“Ok,” Derek whispered, nodding shakily before looking away.  

“Thanks for the ride.” 

When Stiles got inside, he rechecked the mountain ash lines. He stared at the new 10 blade on the bathroom sink before putting it back in the drawer. Derek would be able to smell the wound, and the last thing Stiles wanted was his pity.


	4. In Which There Are Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Stiles finally talk, Stiles moves in to UCLA, Scott gets protective, and the pack can't stop smelling Stiles. Lydia is level-headed, Melissa makes pie, and oh yea, there's that meeting with Deaton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little something for the weekend :) Beta'd by yours truly.
> 
> No triggers for anything. Just more Derek needing to use words and actually doing it. Emotional angst, cuddling, and a very startling revelation about Stiles.

Two days went by before Stiles texted Derek and told him to meet him by the Hale house. Stiles felt it reflected how torn apart Derek had left him. When he pulled up in his Jeep, Derek was already sitting on the porch steps. No Camaro. He stepped out and counted his steps until he stood roughly ten feet from him. The silence seemed to drag on. Stiles couldn’t remember the last time he willed himself to keep his mouth shut. Derek had to be the one to start this.  

“I’m sorry.” 

Stiles didn’t move. He bit his tongue to prevent any smart ass remark. 

“I don’t expect you to ever forgive me considering everything I’ve done.” He laughed, but it was dry and hollow. “I don’t even know where to start.” 

“Start with why you suddenly packed up your shit and left without so much as a ‘See ya round, Stiles’! And then why you’re fucking Skyping with everyone BUT me! Hell, even Allison was in on it! Maybe even my dad too for all I know! Not me though! Stiles just isn’t fucking good enough for a fucking postcard!” Stiles’ eyes burned as his nails dug deep into his palms. Everything he’d tried to keep hidden started to come to the surface. 

“I didn’t want to leave, Stiles. It was something I had to do. Peter-“ 

“Peter what? Peter gave you an ultimatum? What, is he the new Alpha now? And here I was thinking you had to go and find yourself a mate because you were still the Alpha.” 

“How did you…?” Derek stood up and began moving closer to Stiles. The world stopped for a split second as Stiles took in the look of shock on Derek’s face.  

“Oh my God! Are you serious? THAT’S why you left?!” Stiles felt the start of a panic attack. A vice closed around his chest as he tried to stay upright. He felt his knees start to give out and sensed an impending faceplant into the dirt, but before he could hit the ground Derek wrapped his arms around him and pulled him in tight.  

“Try to breath, Stiles. Please. Breath.”

“You… you…” The words got choked up in his throat and tears flooded down his face and soaked into Derek’s shirt.  

“I didn’t… I’m not…” Derek’s arms got tighter as he manuevered Stiles around so his back rested against Derek’s chest. “I’m not mated, Stiles.” 

The words sounded too far away for Stiles to understand. Passing out was a better option anyway. 

\- - - - -  

He woke up in a bed. He didn’t have to open his eyes to realize he was in Scott’s/Derek’s apartment. In Derek’s bed. Surrounded by sheets that smelled like Derek. He didn’t know if it was helping or making it worse. At least Derek wasn’t in bed with him. That would be too much to handle for one day. 

Stiles rolled over and stretched, opening his eyes to a darkened room even though the analog clock beamed 2:45pm. He sat up slowly, making a mental note of the minimalist look of the room and the lack of clothing all over the place. Derek was definitely back and Scott had definitely moved out. At least out of Derek’s room. He had mainly used his room as a storage space, saying that sleeping in another Alpha’s bed would be similar to Stiles sleeping in his dad’s bed after his dad had sex with Melissa. THAT was a mental image neither Scott or Stiles really needed, but it made sense.  

He got up slowly, avoiding a headrush, and glanced at the sliver of light coming from the hall. He realized he was still wearing a shirt and mentally thanked whatever gods were watching over him because he vehemently did NOT want to have to explain the scars to Derek. The ache Stiles still felt in his chest was still there, but it didn’t feel as prevalent as it had; the panic attack and finally letting his emotions out probably helped. Stepping out into the hall, Stiles heard some clattering around in the kitchen. He knew Derek could hear him coming, but he still kept quiet and watched a barefoot Derek make coffee and grilled cheese. Classy.

Derek turned around before Stiles could say anything; his whole body looked exhausted and his face was a mix of fear, relief, regret, and sadness. Stiles was almost at his breaking point with the emotional turmoil flying around the room. He didn’t imagine he looked any better. 

“I made food,” Derek said, gesturing with the spatula at the sandwiches. “And coffee. I have the hazelnut creamer you like.” 

Stiles pandered over to the counter and stood staring at the coffee, staring at the pot like the coffee should make itself. “What made you come back?” He whispered it, and there was no way Derek didn’t hear him.  

Derek’s sigh sounded defeated. “…Everything.” He deposited the spatula in the sink, grabbed the plate, and sat down at the table. Stiles turned and saw a mug of coffee already waiting for him. He looked at Derek again and saw the exhaustion overcome the other emotions on his face. Without thinking twice, he sat down across from Derek and wrapped his hands around the hot mug. 

“Maybe you should start at the beginning.” 

\- - - - - 

Almost three hours later, Stiles couldn’t feel his butt and his feet were cold. The grilled cheese sandwiches were gone along with the entire pot of coffee. Stiles was exhausted, wired, anxious, angry, scared, and relieved. Derek told him everything: Peter’s revelation about needing a mate, Derek’s doubts about turning Stiles and his conversation with Deaton, his ‘trek’ to ‘find a mate’ (a major bust, in Stiles’ opinion but he kept that to himself), and his warring emotions about coming back to Beacon Hills unmated. He added that he kept in touch with Scott and the rest of the pack because he didn’t feel right just leaving without letting them know, although he left out the details of his trip, and if something happened and they needed Derek back they would be able to reach him. 

Stiles needed to be convinced at least three times that Derek didn’t leave BECAUSE of him. Derek wanted, still wants, Stiles as a mate, but it was rare for the wolf community to be accepting of a human mate considering the bloodline. Derek could adopt a werepup, but it wouldn’t be the same. Blood meant everything. If Peter was Alpha, it would be his problem and Derek could pretty much do what he wanted. Scott is not in the same boat because Allison, though human, could bear his children. And she’s a hunter and could very well defend the pack if Scott was away.  

Stiles balked at the idea of him not being able to protect the pack since he was a druid, but then realized he didn’t have much in the way of self defense that didn’t involve magic. He also couldn’t have babies. He argued that he and Derek could have a surrogate, like Lydia or Erica, and they could raise it together. Derek didn’t say no, but Stiles doesn’t think he liked the idea of someone else carrying a child that should technically come from Stiles and be DerekandStiles, not DerekandStilesandErica/Lydia.  

“I want to be a part of your life, Stiles. I miss…us.” Stiles noticed Derek’s hand twitch like he wanted to reach across the table and grab Stiles’.  

Stiles leaned back in his chair and let both his hands fall onto his lap. “I don’t think there can be an ‘us’, Derek. I don’t want to have you again, only to have you find someone else who can give you what I can’t.” He felt his voice cracking. “Why didn’t you tell me before you left?” 

Derek shook his head. “You would have made an irrational decision, Stiles. You would have impulsively TOLD me to bite you. And you know I always cave when it comes to you…” 

“But-“ Stiles felt the tears falling down his face, but no panic attack was forthcoming. “There’s a chance-“ 

Derek’s chair clattered to floor with how fast he stood. “No! I am not going to let you risk your life-“ 

“It’s MY LIFE, Derek!” He didn’t move from his seat, but now the despair turned into anger again. “It’s my choice!” 

“I’d rather you live and love someone else instead of having to cope with your death, Stiles!” Derek’s eyes flashed red. 

“You’re a selfish bastard! Don’t you get it? There will NEVER BE someone else!” He watched the shift in Derek and found himself staring into his green eyes again. He watched the understanding finally sink in. Stiles felt the truth he himself had been avoiding finally settling into his bones. “You were it for me, Derek. I can’t love someone else the same way.” 

Hearing the words come out of his mouth instead of rattling around in his head brought him a weird sense of peace, but it also made the reality hurt more since there was no doubt Derek heard the truth of his words. 

“Stiles…” Derek made a move towards Stiles, but he stood up halting Derek in his tracks. The despair was back.  

“Please, Derek. If you love me, if you care at all-“ 

“You know I do, Sti. Don’t doubt that.” 

Stiles nodded and tried to choke down the knot he felt forming in his throat. “Then you’ll let me go. Please.” 

He doesn’t know how it happened, but suddenly Derek’s arms were around him with his face buried in Stiles’ neck. He doesn’t know who started crying first, or how they ended up falling asleep wrapped around each other in Derek’s bed. When Stiles woke up and locked his eyes with Derek’s, he leaned the last few inches towards Derek’s mouth. It was just a dry press of lips, but it conveyed everything neither of them trusted themselves to say without breaking down again. Derek’s thumb traced Stiles’ cheekbone as he pulled back. Stiles’ hand rested on Derek’s hip. 

“Always, Stiles.” 

Stiles felt a small smile creep across his lips. “Always, Der.” 

\- - - - -  

Derek must have called Scott who called Stiles’ dad to tell him where Stiles was all day. There was no other reason for the batch of cookies waiting for him at the kitchen table.  

“Sorry I’m home late, it was kind of-“ 

John held up his hand. “Don’t worry about it. Are you ok?” The sincerity behind his words threatened to break Stiles down again, and he was way too tired for more emotional moments.  

Stiles sighed, the knot was still there, but it felt like it was fading. He looked up at his dad. “I will be.” 

He wasn’t really expecting an all-encompassing Stilinski bear-hug, but it was welcome all the same.  

\- - - - -  

The next couple of days flew by and suddenly Stiles was standing in his one bedroom dorm (thank the university gods) at UCLA with Allison and Scott. They moved all of his things in near record time, and Allison had already started unpacking some of the boxes and putting sheets on his bed.  

“Allison, you really don’t have to.” Stiles really wasn’t complaining though, and he figured Allison knew it because she just rolled her eyes and pointed at the trunk with his clothes.  

“Just start putting clothes away. The more you do now with all the moving energy, the less you’ll have to do later.” 

“She’s right, dude. Although, the way you have been acting, I don’t think lack of energy is your problem,” Scott said.  

Stiles opened the trunk to sort through the clothes to hang up. “What do you mean?” 

Scott sighed. “I dunno, you just seem more active. I know it sounds weird since you’re always moving around but this just seems more focused. Your heartbeat sounds louder too, and more…consistent?” 

“What? That makes no sense. I haven’t changed anything.” Stiles tried to think about the last few days. He didn’t really FEEL any different.  

Scott sniffed the air around Stiles.  

“I don’t care what you say or how long we’ve been friends, that’s still weird.” He looked over at Allison. “Do you know what he’s talking about?” 

“Have you stopped taking Adderall?”  

Stiles’ head whipped back around to Scott. “Huh?” 

Scott made an impatient noise Stiles didn’t approve of. “Adderall. Have you taken any recently?”

“Yeah, I took some…” Stiles stopped. He thought back over the last week and realized he hadn’t taken his normal doses. His last one was the day he went to meet with Derek. 

Allison stopped what she was doing. “What’s going on? You stopped taking your meds?”

“Not intentionally! I just…didn’t realize I hadn’t taken it. Whoa!” Scott started grabbing at Stiles’ shirt, all but ripping the neck and exposing his bare shoulders. “What the hell, Scott?!” 

“Scott!” Even Allison looked a little freaked out.  

“Did you get Derek to bite you?!” Scott’s eyes flared red for an instant.  

“What?! No, Scott! Why would I do that?!” He pulled away from Scott and leaned back against the dresser. “We just…talked. That was it.” 

Allison looked between Scott and Stiles for a long moment before letting her eyes rest on Scott. “What’s wrong? 

Scott shook his head and backed off. Stiles realized Scott’s claws were out the instant they withdrew. “Nothing. Stiles just smelled different than how he normally does but…” he sniffed the air around Stiles again. “He’s fine. I guess it’s the new place. I don’t exactly have the prime Alpha nose yet.” He chuckled stiffly, but it was enough to break the awkward tension in the small room. 

“So uh, I guess this shirt is done for, huh?” Stiles joked, reaching into his trunk for a new one. He turned to the side to avoid any more awkward moments about the fading scars on his left side.  

“Yea, I’m sorry man. I just noticed you’ve been a little different since Derek got back. I guess I overreacted.” 

Stiles didn’t look at Scott or Allison, who went back to the bed, as he continued unpacking his clothes. “I’m coping. It’s gonna take time.” 

\- - - - -  

Scott and Allison spent the night, and Stiles gave up his bed to sleep on the small sofa on the other side of the room. It wasn’t the most comfortable piece of furniture in the room, but it gave him a view out the window. Suffice it to say, he didn’t really sleep well. The full moon was coming in roughly two weeks, and it was the first one he wouldn’t be spending with the pack. He felt like a dick now that he thought about it: Isaac tended to use Stiles as his anchor on full moons, and now Stiles wouldn’t be there. But Derek would be, so maybe Isaac would be ok.  

His mind drifted and soon he found himself dreaming of running with wolves.  

\- - - - -  

Contrary to what common lore says about college, Stiles took to it like a fish to water. He didn’t find himself frantically searching for his classes, or panicking about the amount of reading and writing required. After searching almost relentlessly, and almost giving up, he found the resident Wiccan group. They were all girls, almost all goth, and they all had various facial piercings and a few tattoos. The one in charge, Millicent (Stiles suspects her name is Mildred but isn’t about to risk her wrath), knows a fair amount about witchcraft, but she uses it for her own personal gain. Any of the girls have yet for a spell to ACTUALLY work, but Stiles thinks they just haven’t really tried. This could be fun. 

He got to knew a few of the people in his dorm, and, through social networking, got wind about lacrosse tryouts. Almost all the players were on scholarship to play so they were heaps better than Stiles, but he knew strategy better than the rest of them. He was easily accepted among them, albeit at the scathing looks he got from two of the upperclassmen who didn’t like being questioned.  

Stiles definitely liked college.  

\- - - - -  

The morning of the full moon, conveniently on a Friday, Stiles made a decision. A rash decision but a decision nonetheless that he was going to follow through with. As soon as classes got out, he piled into his car and made the drive home. A couple of his friends made fun of him for going home after the first two weeks of class, and the lacrosse guys weren’t too thrilled since they had planned to practice on Saturday morning, but once Stiles explained about his single father household and very needy siblings, they let him go.  

The entire drive Stiles felt jittery, like bugs crawled under his skin. He pulled over at a rest stop and stretched out, working out the small kinks that formed over the course of two hours. The crawling sensation stayed with him as he walked around the small park. Feeling defeated, he reached into his duffel and pulled out the near full bottle of Adderall. He hadn’t needed one in almost three weeks and he was reluctant to take one now considering it was probably just nerves of driving home. Especially since he didn’t tell anyone he was coming home to begin with.  

He held the bottle in his hand for another minute before deciding to take one. He hadn’t eaten since breakfast so it wouldn’t take long for the pill to kick in and focus his brain.  

\- - - - - 

The welcome he received was not entirely what he expected. Isaac was already at his house having an early dinner with his dad, who invited Melissa and Scott, who invited Allison and by extension, Lydia.  

“Uh, hi?”  

“Stiles!” Isaac got up first and pulled Stiles into a near bone-breaking hug. “You smell different,” he noted, sticking his nose directly under Stiles’ ear and breathing in so hard it tickled. 

“College life does that, all the new scents and different people. Now stop, that tickles.” Isaac did lay off the sniffing, but he narrowed his eyes at Stiles’ response. Like he knew something Stiles didn’t. What was it with everyone questioning his scent? 

To his credit, his dad just rolled his eyes. “Didn’t tell me you were coming home this weekend, son.” He said it like Stiles walked in on him cheating on him with other members of the pack.  

Stiles tried to remove himself from Isaac’s grasp to little avail. It didn’t really help that Scott, Allison, and Lydia all joined in. “Full moon, dad. And it was kind of a last minute decision. I was feeling kind of jittery and realized I didn’t want to miss it,” he said, trying to maintain eye contact despite being manhandled. “Guys, seriously. I just walked in the door.” 

Everyone reluctantly let go and returned to the table where Stiles’ dad made another plate and set it down between him and Isaac. He filled everyone in on college life and heard some horror stories from Scott and Allison about Berkley. Lydia had gotten into Stanford and was already arguing with the Physics and Math departments over topics that made Stiles’ head spin and his eyes cross. Isaac was at a local community college taking business management classes; the guy had a good eye for investment. Stiles didn’t doubt that one day he would wind up in Wall Street, or owning his own business. No one mentioned Derek until dessert. 

Stiles bit into Melissa’s apple pie and almost died of bliss. “Oh my God I missed your pie!” 

Melissa laughed. “I can make you one to take with you if you have a fridge to keep it in.” 

“I don’t think it would last the trip,” he replied, getting up for another piece since he practically inhaled the first one. “So, what do you guys have planned for tonight? Pack run? Should I grab snacks?” 

“Yeah, same deal as before. Now that Derek’s back we were going to run together again. We planned to meet up at the apartment and do a movie thing before driving out to the house.” Scott looked up at Stiles at the same time Isaac did. “If you don’t feel comfortable…” 

Stiles waved it off. “No dude. I’m here for you guys. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to come home for EVERY full moon so I want to be a part of it. Like before. Unless you’d rather I didn’t.”

“NO! I mean, yes. I- WE- want you there.” Isaac’s declaration was loud enough that everyone stopped mid-chew. He looked kind of embarrassed at his outburst.  

Stiles couldn’t help but laugh warmly. “Of course.” 

\- - - - -  

Derek didn’t seem too surprised to see Stiles, he suspects Scott had something to do with that, but he did give him an odd look when he walked into the apartment. 

“Hey.” 

Before Derek could respond, Erica bounded past him and launched into Stiles’ space. 

“You smell different.”

“OH MY GOD WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP SAYING THAT?! I’m still me!” 

Erica’s nose scrunched up as she leaned in to smell his neck. Boyd appeared behind her and leaned in also, but maintained a respectful distance. Boyd wasn’t a huge fan of ‘group hugs’, but the dude could cuddle the shit out of everyone after full moons.  

“She is right. You do smell different. But it isn’t weird different. Just…different. Still you.” 

“Did you take an Adderall today?” Scott asked. Stiles got the feeling he’d been wanted to ask all day but refrained because of previous company. Stiles really didn’t want his dad or Melissa wondering about his medication schedule.  

“Yea, earlier,” he replied, running a hand through his hair and sidestepping Erica who still tried to sniff him more than he thought was strictly necessary. “I’ve been feeling kind of jittery and spazzy all day, but the Adderall didn’t really help. Its a little better now that I’m home, so it was probably just nerves or something.” 

He chanced a look over at Derek, who still had the odd look on his face. It made Stiles a little uncomfortable. His hand shifted to his ribs, like Derek had xray vision and could see. He’d be really worried if Derek looked down at his thighs. For obvious reasons. Obviously.  

By the time they finally made their way into the living room, Stiles noted the addition of a new sofa and oversized beanbags. Derek must have noticed his face. 

“They’re for the pack. Makes it more…cozy.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Big softy. You just made this place more den-like than it already was.” He landed on a large black beanbag next to an overstuffed armchair. If Derek sat in the armchair and shared his popcorn with Stiles, no one said anything. 

\- - - - -  

When the movie finally ended, Stiles felt energy thrumming from his bones. It wasn’t unfocused, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant, especially since he didn’t know what was causing it. When they arrived at the Hale house, everyone shifted almost immediately and Stiles lingered to pick up the clothes and put it into the house. The house, he noticed, had been renovated. At least, the main floor had. He realized that when he met Derek here, he hadn’t gone inside. It looked relatively lived in considering the large cushions and mattresses and blankets strewn about the floor, and the kitchen was remodeled with a working fridge and stovetop.  

“So, when did this happen?” He asked when he realized Derek was standing behind him. “And why aren’t you out there with them being all wolfy?” 

“When I got back, thought it might be more comfortable than crashing on charred wood floors since no one is really in the mood to drive after a run.” He paused like he was waiting for the right moment to say something else. Stiles was about to open his mouth when Derek plowed through. 

“Is everything ok at school? Have you seen Deaton yet?” 

Stiles blinked rapidly and refocused. “What? School’s fine? Why would I need to see Deaton? Is this about the smell? I don’t smell weird. I’m fine.” 

Derek shook his head and took a step closer, scenting the air. “You smell different, Stiles. At first I thought Scott might have been exaggerating a little but after Erica and Boyd confirmed it, I realized that you do smell different. Still you, but not entirely. Are you on something? You don’t smell like Adderall like before.” 

How was this Stiles’ life? Suddenly Derek was all weird about how he smelled? 

“I’ve already had this discussion with Scott. I haven’t really needed it, not until earlier today, but it didn’t do anything. I’m part of a Wiccan group at school- don’t laugh.” He saw Derek trying to bite back a grin. He couldn’t help but grin back. This was nice, despite the subject matter of his scent. “But they don’t do much other than worship trees and pray to goddesses I’ve never heard of. No spells or incantations to do anything more than get them good grades and make guys fall in love with them.” It seemed pretty shallow for him to say it out loud considering he’d gotten to know some of the girls pretty well, and he did have access to some valuable research materials since some of the girls’ parents were LOADED and they could buy stuff Stiles doubted Deaton could get his hands on.  

Derek’s face shifted back to its normal brood. “I still think you should see Deaton before you go back. Give you a once over to make sure nothing supernatural has latched on to you. I’d be ok with you going to Scott’s mom but something tells me you don’t want her knowing about your scars, or lack of medication.” 

Stiles almost fell over, like the wind got knocked out of his lungs. “Wha-?” 

It was Derek’s turn to look uncomfortable. “The pack, they told me. While I was gone. I’m not judging you, Stiles. I-“ 

Stiles had to swallow past the hard lump in his throat. He shook his head, the thrumming started to overwhelm his senses. “Don’t. I don’t want to talk about it. But if it makes any difference, I haven’t done it in a long time. Ok? Can we not talk about this again?” 

He glanced up at Derek’s face, worry written all over it, and watched it fade away into concern and then resignation. Stiles wasn’t lying, and he knew Derek could hear it. “Yeah. Just…talk to someone if it- It doesn’t have to be me, I get that. The pack is here for you, Stiles.” The _I’m here for you too_ went unspoken, but it didn’t make it any less true. 

Stiles nodded once before clearing his throat and making his way back outside. “You should get out there before they think you abandoned them.” He turned away while Derek stripped off his clothes. “And I’ll go see Deaton tomorrow. If only to put your fears to rest.” 

He heard the shift and felt Derek’s wolf tongue lick his hand before bounding off into the forest. Stiles reached down for Derek’s clothes, the smell more visceral than it had been in the past. And it had a calming effect on him; the desperate energy seemed to fade away. If he wore Derek’s hoodie while he sat on the porch reading, that was his business.  

\- - - - -  

Standing in Deaton’s office for a check-up was weird. Lydia came with him, she insisted, because if something was happening to Stiles, she was the most level-headed of the group. Her words, not his. But he wasn’t about to contradict her. The edgy feeling he’d been experiencing over the past few days had faded into the background. He explained that, and everything else to Deaton. Almost everything. He left out the cutting details, but he figured Deaton would figure it out through deductive reasoning, and the physical exam. Once he put it all out in the open, he felt remarkably better and Lydia held his hand through most of it.  

Deaton came back from his lab with paper and an expression Stiles couldn’t place. He motioned for Stiles to sit on the metal table and he leaned back against the counter.  

“I have no idea where to even begin.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “This is… different than anything I’ve ever encountered. You said your body is free of drugs of any kind?” 

Stiles didn’t like the feeling he had developing in the pit of his stomach. If Deaton was having a hard time… “I’m clean, nothing in the past three weeks except for that one dose of Adderall yesterday on the drive home. What is going on?” 

Lydia stepped forward and looked at Deaton, waiting for his eyes to meet hers. “Is it…possible?” Her eyes shifted to Stiles. 

“Is WHAT possible? What is going on?” Stiles jumped off the table and started pacing the room. “No one is telling me anything! Everyone keeps telling me I smell ‘different’ and I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean! Now you’re being ominous with the ‘different than anything I’ve ever encountered’ and ‘is it possible’ talk. Is. WHAT. Possible?”

Deaton pushed off the counter and held out his hands. “There’s nothing truly concrete yet, and what I’m about to tell you is probably going to launch you into a panic attack. So I’m going to ask you to step into the office and have a seat. Can you do that for me, Stiles?” 

Before Stiles could formulate a response, Lydia reached for his hand and began leading him to Deaton’s office. 

“I don’t know that I want to know anymore…” he whimpered. Maybe he was turning into a giant lizard, or shapeshifter, or slimy blob-like creature. Maybe he was dying. He didn’t want to die.  

“You’re not going to die, Stiles. And you’re not turning into a kanima.” Lydia patted the seat next to hers reassuringly. Stiles sat down, leg shaking as he tried to figure out what to do with his hands.  

Deaton closed the door behind them and reached for the massive text on his desk.  

“Stiles, what’s happening to you, it’s only been documented twice in history. And one of those instances hasn’t been proven as complete fact. I’m waiting for a call from a close friend of mine to reaffirm what I believe, and for Peter to get back from wherever he might be, but based off what you’ve told me, and what the blood has shown, I’m pretty confident about what your ‘issue’ is.” 

Stiles didn’t realize he was sitting on the edge of his seat. This was worse than waiting to find out if Allison was pregnant after her and Scott had a condom mishap. His eyes widened. 

“Oh my God… Am I pregnant? I haven’t had sex in over a year!” Stiles was ready to be horrified. But then Lydia snorted and even Deaton looked like he was trying really hard grin. “WHAT THE FUCK, GUYS?! SERIOUSLY?! THIS IS NOT FUNNY!” 

“No, you’re right Stiles, it’s not. But if THAT is your worst case scenario then I feel like what REALLY is happening might not seem that awful.” 

Stiles looked at Lydia, who had a small smile on her face. “Welcome to the family, for real.” 

“Wha-?” He glanced back at Deaton who handed Stiles the open book and pointed to a series of images. 

“Stiles, you’re turning into a werewolf.”


	5. In Which Explanations Occur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles may or may not have passed out after Deaton's revelation about what was happening to his body, and then may pass out AGAIN because it's a lot to take in. Derek and Stiles talk again while John prepares food for hungry wolves. And then Deaton's friend shows up to give Derek and Stiles a crash course in their 'situation'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings/Tags for this work: Mentions of possible future MPreg, some heavy Sterek-petting/making out, a cutting scene because Stiles doesn't quite believe it.
> 
> Beta'd by AsadMinQamar and myself. Any glaring mistakes, please let me know.

He woke up with a throbbing headache, sprawled out on his sofa covered by a blanket. His dad was sitting in the armchair, leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. Deaton stood in front of the fireplace.

“I just had the weirdest dream.” He moved to sit up but his head throbbed, and his dad launched himself up and urged Stiles to lay back down.

“Don’t get up yet, kiddo. Deaton said you hit the ground pretty hard, which isn’t difficult to believe given what he just told me.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, and looked over at Deaton. “You’re sure?”

“I’m positive now. When he fell, he cut his forehead. After Lydia and I managed to roll him over, I saw the blood on the floor and some spotting on his skin, but after I cleaned the area, the cut was gone. It could just be a fluke, but I doubt it.” He walked over to Stiles and held out his hand. “May I?”

Without thinking, Stiles raised his arm and let Deaton roll up his sleeve. He was about to jerk it back when he realized what he was looking for, but there was nothing there. He distinctly remembered having four scars close to his elbow, he saw them when Deaton was doing his physical and drawing his blood. He SAW them. Now they were gone.

Before his dad could protest, he scrambled off the sofa and into the main floor bathroom, stripping his shirt and pulling down his pants before the door closed completely.

“Stiles! Stiles, what’s the matter?”

He could hear Deaton saying something but couldn’t make out the words. Raising his left arm, he ran his hand down his side. Nothing.

“Shit…fuck…oh…fuck…”

He looked down at his thigh. Nothing there either.

“This can’t be happening…” He whispered. “This isn’t real…”

Stiles didn’t bother putting his shirt back on or zipping up his pants before leaving the bathroom. He nearly fell over his dad and Deaton on his way into the kitchen, scanning the counter space until he found what he wanted. He grabbed the paring knife out of the sink and dragged it across his forearm.

“What are you doing?! Stiles! Put it-“

His dad didn’t finish his sentence because the wound Stiles created had already begun to close.

At least this time when he passed out, his dad was there to catch him.

\- - - - -

Stiles did not want to get up. He KNEW everyone was at his house, he just felt like this was suddenly a pack thing. Before he hit the ground, his dad caught him and carried him to his room. He knew this because his head didn’t hurt, and because he was nestled in bed wearing sweatpants. At least he wouldn’t have to explain the scars on his body since THEY WEREN’T THERE. His face was plastered into the pillow; he could feel a small puddle of drool under his cheek but he really didn’t care about that at the moment.

This entire situation was completely surreal. Nowhere in his endless research of weres did it ever mention anything like this ever happening. Ever. EVER. But like Deaton said, there was only one factual documented case that he knew of, and based off of what he remembered in the office before he passed out, the book contained information on the occurrence.

Derek must be flipping his shit right now.

Good, thought Stiles. Let him be the one in the hot seat. This is probably his fault anyway. Although, the more Stiles got to thinking about it, Derek didn’t seem the type to trick Stiles into becoming a wolf. It was all or nothing with that guy, there’s no way he would have known about some secret way to make Stiles a were without telling him so they could talk it to death. Or not talk, because really, when did Derek willingly talk about things that didn’t involve tactical maneuvers or reasons why he wouldn’t give Stiles the bite. Not that Stiles technically wanted to be bitten because gross. Not to mention the possibility of death. Or worse.

This had to be some heavy duty mojo shit if Derek didn’t know and Deaton had to use a book older than dirt to find an answer. Then there was Peter. Stiles snorted and rolled onto his back. Like Peter would know anything either. He practically threw down the gauntlet about the whole mating thing with Derek.

Stiles wanted to yell and scream and howl until his throat hurt and he wouldn’t be able to talk. Fat chance of that happening now what with super wolf healy powers, but still, throwing a temper tantrum was well within his rights at this point. Instead, he sat up and reached into his bag from his laptop.

“Google powers, activate.”

Turning into a werewolf without being bitten. Stiles scrolled through a few pages, most of it being lore about the original were being cursed, and with that curse came the bite to turn others. There were variations on the myth, like the original being able to ‘cast’ the curse into another. Apparently, being cursed was the rarest way to be made into one, but Stiles doesn’t remember any weird incantations or eating something odd. He thought about the grilled cheese that night at Derek’s but quickly dismissed that idea. Derek stashing herbs and archaic spells made him think of a squirrel hiding nuts for winter.

_Derek. Nuts. Goddammit. Focus Stiles._

Focus. That explained why he hadn’t needed the Adderall. It was like Scott and his inhaler. He stopped scrolling and thought about lacrosse practice. Those guys weren’t exactly gentle, but he realized he was quicker on his feet and he wasn’t as sore as everyone claimed he should be. He remembers high school lacrosse practice, and Jackson trying to kill him on the field, and the days he didn’t want to get out of bed because of how badly his body hurt.

“How is this my life?” Recurring theme.

He went back to scrolling and he was about at his wits end when he came across the stupidest and quite possibly the best explanation for what happened.

“You have got to be shitting me.” He stayed in bed for another ten minutes before shutting his computer and deciding to face the music downstairs.

\- - - - -

Before leaving his room, he paused by his door and focused on his ears. If he tried, he could hear Lydia (?) rapping her nails on the kitchen table, his dad opening a beer, Derek and Deaton talking in low voices. Shifting his focus to his nose, he inhaled: he picked out a few things and smells he assumed to be Scott and Isaac, and nail polish? Oh yea, Lydia. And Allison maybe.

When he got to the bottom of the stairs, all movement and chatter ceased. Stiles honed in on Derek who looked like he was torn between being really fucking happy, or really depressed. Deaton had the old-as-dirt book, a finger resting on what Stiles’ presumed were the diagrams he passed out staring at. He heard everyone in the kitchen move towards the living room.

The house felt like a fucking morgue with how quiet everyone was. That’s when Stiles noticed the array of heartbeats. His eyes never left Derek’s.

“Did you know this could happen?”

Derek shook his head and moved forward. Stiles tried to block out the other heartbeats and focus on Derek’s. It was pretty steady, albeit a little fast, but given the situation, Stiles didn’t blame him for being nervous.

“Stiles, I had no idea. I’d never heard of this until-“

“I believe you.” He looked at Deaton. “Did your friend call you back?”

He nodded, closing the book and setting it on the coffee table within reach of Isaac who was already opening it back up so he and Scott could flip through it. Stiles realized the only people missing were Jackson, Erica, and Boyd. Derek probably told them to hang back since Stiles couldn’t stand Jackson on a good day, and Boyd and Erica, though schoolmates of Stiles’, didn’t share the same bond as the rest of them did. Now they did, but still. Best to start small.

“He did. He got my message and bought a plane ticket. Should be here early tomorrow morning.” Steady heartbeat.

“So I’m like a science experiment now?” He knew it sounded rude, but after the past 24 hours he felt like he could get away with being a little rude.

“No Stiles, just a rarity. Gustav’s family specializes in wolf lore. He is a direct descendent of one of the two documented cases I was telling you about. His mother was a human who seemed to spontaneously turn into a werewolf. When he gets here, he’ll be able to shed more light on the situation. But for now, I suggest you take it easy.” Steady heartbeat. He understood why Derek had always glanced at his chest early in their relationship.

“Oh.”

The silence stretched on for a while longer until his stomach growled.

His dad chuckled. “It’s good to know some things haven’t changed.” He stepped in front of Stiles. “I’m just glad you’re ok. And we will get through this, werewolf or not you’re still my son. And I love you. I knew from the moment you fell out of your crib and laughed about it while your mother and I freaked out that I wouldn’t have a normal kid.”

Stiles couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Really dad? Now is not the time for embarrassing childhood memories. Badass wolf now, remember?” His stomach growled again, if not louder than the last time.

It was his dad’s turn to roll his eyes. “Come on, let’s feed you.” He turned and looked at the rest of the pack, their eyes pleading. “I suppose the rest of you are hungry too?”

Scott jumped up first. “I can make potatoes,” and followed Stiles’ dad into the kitchen.

Isaac got up next, cutting Derek off and pulling Stiles into another Isaac bone-crushing hug.

“Dude, lighten up. I might be part of the family now, for real this time, but I need to get used to the strength.” It didn’t stop him from hugging Isaac back though.

“You’ve always been a real part of the pack,” Isaac mumbled into his shoulder. “This just makes it more legitimate. Does this mean you’ll be able to run with us now?!”

Before Stiles could respond, Derek cleared his throat. Isaac got the message, though reluctantly, and exited the scene. Deaton cast one final glance at Stiles and Derek before retreating into the kitchen with everyone else. Lydia must have filled Allison in because she gave him a rather sad look. He didn’t really blame her. Given what he read online before coming downstairs, he would be pretty upset if their positions were reversed.

“Hi.” Points for being smooth.

Derek shifted uncomfortably and looked at his feet.

“Do you wanna step outside?” He gestured towards the front door. Derek was already moving, but not before abortively reaching for Stiles’ hand and then pulling back, like he wasn’t sure Stiles would appreciate the hand-holding.

Walking past the kitchen, he told everyone he’d be back in momentarily, and he’d appreciate it if those with super hearing kept their ears within the confines of the building. Isaac pouted at the patties he was making, Lydia rolled her eyes, Scott just waved his hand. “Go away, Stiles. We’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

Being outside took on a whole new meaning to Stiles. He wiggled his toes in the grass and scented the air. Everything smelled fresh, and slightly damp. He realized how much he missed Beacon Hills after being in LA. Closing his eyes, he let the air saturate his pores and just listened to the sounds. Derek’s heartbeat gradually took over the background noise, and Stiles opened his eyes again.

“I feel like I should be freaking out more than I am, but I think passing out twice covered the panic attack.”

“Stiles…”

He held up a hand. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault, well, not entirely really.” Derek cocked his head and arched an eyebrow, so Stiles continued. “I did a little googling before I came downstairs-“

Derek snorted, but at least his features relaxed along with his shoulders, if only a little bit.

“Shut up, or I won’t tell you what I found. Although Deaton probably already told you what I’m going to tell you.”

“Nothing he told me involved Google.” The way he said Google made it sound like a four-letter word. “But please, enlighten me.”

“I will. So googling stuff and I found a movie-“

“Stiles.”

“You said to ‘enlighten you’. This is me, enlightening you.”

“I didn’t mean with a movie you found using Google.”

“Do you want me to finish, or should I just go back inside and we can wait until tomorrow when Deaton’s friend gets here?” Stiles was getting impatient. He was the one labeled a ‘rarity’ and Derek was acting like this was all a personal burden for him.

Not receiving a response, unless he counted a grunt, Stiles continued through gritted teeth. “So I found a movie where the main character got bitten, and the girl he loved got turned into a werewolf because, and I quote, their love was strong enough to turn her, end quote. From what I could tell, neither was really aware that could happen, especially not the girl, but it was referenced in the movie by the werewolf guru guy.”

Staring at Derek’s shocked dumbfounded expression, Stiles correctly assumed Deaton said something around similar lines. All Deaton’s friend had to do was confirm it. Stiles hoped there would be no extensive poking involved.

“Yea. Google.” Stiles couldn’t help but be a little proud of himself.

The silence stretched into awkward territory.

“Are you going to say something, or are we going to stand here awkwardly wondering what to do next?” Part of Stiles really wanted to touch Derek. He was more acutely aware of how Derek smelled: earthy, a little salty, warm, and a few other smells Stiles couldn’t really place. He figured it would take a little time to be able to label everything he smelled. He was determined to be better than Scott. And Jackson. Stiles had no idea how that guy managed to find anything in the woods that didn’t already belong to him. Although, Stiles did remember the time he lost his pants. That would have been posted all over the Internet if Derek hadn’t stolen his phone and deleted the video. Stiles strongly suspected he sent it to himself before deleting it, but he wasn’t about to bring that up right now.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Stiles. I haven’t been in this situation before.”

Stiles was getting exasperated. Emotionally stunted Derek was exhausting to deal with.

“Tell me something. Anything! I don’t care. Tell me this isn’t what you wanted, tell me you can’t handle it, or tell me that it’s going to be ok, that we can pick up-“

Derek silenced him with his mouth.

Fucking finally! Stiles did a mental fist-pump before getting with the program and kissing Derek back. He suddenly became very aware of the fact he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and Derek took full advantage of the fact by running his hands over Stiles’ bare skin. His skin felt too tight, and it wouldn’t be long before he lost all sense of propriety and let Derek have his way with him on his dad’s front lawn.

“Wait…wait…” Stiles pulled away despite Derek’s growl. “Seriously, we’re in my front yard and its still kind of light out.” Derek grunted and latched on to Stiles’ neck, and he would be lying through his teeth if the sensation of Derek’s fangs on his throat didn’t send a jolt of arousal straight to his dick.

“Derek, stop. I don’t want to go inside with a hickey on my neck.” Or a very obvious boner. It was probably too late for the latter.

“It’ll fade before we get inside… maybe.”

“Derek.”

To his relief, and Derek’s displeasure and reluctance (Stiles could sort of pick out those particular scents now, and Derek’s expressive eyebrows helped a little), Derek let go and stepped back, looking every bit as debauched as Stiles felt, and probably looked.

“You are goddamn gorgeous.” Stiles blushed as soon as the words left his mouth. Being a werewolf didn’t stop his verbal diarrhea. His dad was right, some things would never change.

He felt Derek’s thumb slide over his cheek and he raised his eyes again. The tips of Derek’s ears were pink, but if it was from arousal or embarrassment, Stiles didn’t know. Judging by his heartbeat, Derek wanted this as much as Stiles. Not to mention the whole ‘turning Stiles into a werewolf through the power of their love’ was kind of cheesy romantic in a way that set Stiles’ heart aflutter.

Everything clicked together in that moment, and he realized Derek was waiting for him to catch up.

“That day, in your apartment.”

Derek nodded, bringing up his other hand to cup Stiles’ face and kiss him chastely. “When Lydia called me and told me to talk to Deaton, I put two and two together. I think I may have panicked worse than you, but I didn’t pass out like a princess.”

“Hey!”

Derek kept going, ignoring the outburst. “He insisted I wait until he knew for sure, and after you cut yourself in front of your dad and passed out again, he told me to come over.” He pulled Stiles into another embrace, this time cupping the back of Stiles’ head and bringing it to rest on his shoulder. “I was furious with myself, and with you though I don’t know why. I felt like it was my fault, but then Deaton explained it was based on the emotions of both parties. I brought up Scott and Allison, and why this hadn’t happened to them, and he said it was because our bond went deeper. It was like my wolf knew your wolf already, it was just waiting for the rest of you to catch up.”

Stiles let it sink in, breathing in Derek, and felt himself relax. “So if you had bitten me…?”

Derek chuckled. “It would have turned you, but it probably would have been painful. This way, your body is eased into it instead of just being jump-started. Gustav will be able to explain it better, like how long it takes for the full transformation, and what to expect afterwards.”

Stiles listened to Derek’s heartbeat and realized it was slowing his own heart rate down. “So last night, I was feeling all jittery and anxious, that was my wolf wanting to change but it couldn’t. And then when you left, me wearing your hoodie soothed it.” Stiles lifted his head and nuzzled Derek’s scruffy jawline.

“And why my wolf was reluctant to leave you alone. But when I got back and saw you in my clothes, and then being able to sleep in the same space as you, it made it easier.” Derek’s hand soothed up and down Stiles’ back, and Stiles swore he felt himself purring, or whatever the wolf equivalent was. A thought flashed into his head, his eyes snapped open, and his head pulled back far enough to look into Derek’s eyes. Judging by the look he received, Derek was thinking the same thing. “It means you’re my mate, Stiles.”

Hearing it said aloud did not have the reaction Stiles expected from himself. He must have remained silent for longer than he intended because Derek’s smile gradually faded into a frown. “Stiles…?”

Stiles pulled away further, slipping from Derek’s grasp. He knew this was great news, awesome news even. Definitely awesome news because ‘he got the girl’… or guy rather, the broody somewhat insensitive guy; he should be ecstatic, overjoyed, thrilled beyond measure. Should be. But for some reason, he just felt scared. Derek must have sensed it because he immediately reached out to Stiles’ retreating form, only Stiles stopped him.

“I’m not…rejecting you or anything. Hearing you say it out loud just made me realize it’s all rather final. I mean, a month ago you weren’t here. And suddenly you’re back, and this situation changes everything, and all the pieces are just supposed to fall into place.” He looked down at his hands, at his toes covered in grass, then back to Derek’s face. He looked like someone had taken all the wind out of his sails, and then taken the sails along with the boat. “Derek, I’m not saying I don’t want this. I do. Want this.” He gestured to the space between them before moving closer and taking Derek’s hands in his own. “I want us. But you have to give me some time to adjust. I know I mentioned picking up where we left off, but you can’t just leave and then come back and expect everything to go back to the way it was before you left. Things are different now.”

“Don’t you think I know this? I’m every bit as scared as you are, Stiles.” His voice was almost a whisper as he brought Stiles closer and sighed against his neck, sending goosebumps down his back. “I’m fucking terrified. But I want this. So much.”

They stood in the grass in the fading sunlight for a few more moments before Stiles shifted his feet. “My sweatpants are getting a little soggy.”

Derek hummed against his neck, but got the idea and pulled them both towards the house.

“No seriously, I think dad watered the lawn earlier or something. And the neighbors might be watching right now because they’re nosy. And you’re kind of hot. My hot wolfman boyfri-“ Stiles stopped himself, but didn’t chance looking at Derek who’s heart stuttered before beating normally again. “I can say that now…right?”

“You can call me whatever you want, Sti.”

Whatever I want? “Sugarbuns? Cupcake? Stud muffin? Captain Hotpants?” Stiles sensed agitation but kept going, his grin only growing wider. “McDreamy? McSteamy? Sweetie pie? Fire of my loins? Sun and stars?”

“Stiles… I will end you if you make another TV series reference. Especially a Grey’s Anatomy reference.”

“Yea yea, wolfman. You say that now. But let’s wait until after dinner. I’m sure I’ll win you over before the night is over.” Then Stiles realized, quirking an eyebrow. “You watch Grey’s Anatomy?”

Before Derek could respond to explain the pink hue outlining his ears, John called out and Stiles all but sprinted back into the house.

\- - - - -

Gustav was a lot less imposing than Stiles imagined he would be. Although he wasn’t sure what to expect from a 200 year old warlock. He should have expected the probing questions, but Stiles never imagined going into great detail with anyone. Gustav asked about EVERYTHING: when they first met to how their social interactions shifted to how much time they spent together, their sex life and lack thereof, what happened after Derek left (at which point Gustav cuffed Derek over the head before turning his attention back to Stiles). Derek narrowed his eyes as he scooted his chair back a few inches out of reach, although if a 200 year old warlock wants to hit you, Stiles didn’t think a few inches mattered.

The topic of sex got so uncomfortable, Deaton actually had to get up on the pretense of getting coffee and then didn’t come back. Stiles was infinitely grateful the rest of the pack wasn’t anywhere within earshot, at Derek’s insistence, and he couldn’t imagine the thoughts going there Derek’s head at having to answer such personal questions given the emotional constipation he experienced. Stiles did start to notice subtle changes, like how heat radiated from Derek when he started getting aroused (some of those questions were REALLY intimate), or how the air seemed to get more charged if Derek was getting annoyed/aggravated, or the subtle change from arousal to embarrassment. Stiles found himself wondering how long it took Derek to pick up on the subtleties that made him up. Derek squeezed his hand reassuringly, and really, that was enough. Stiles did have a lot to learn.

“By the next full moon, Stiles will be ready to shift into full wolf.”

“Full? You mean, like Derek?”

Gustav nodded. “Yes, technically you’re a ‘born wolf’ since you have not been bitten. Your body responded to a kind of dormant cell. Had you never met Derek, the chain reaction leading to this outcome never would have occurred.”

Stiles was still confused. “How can you know this for sure though? I mean, Deaton said the only factual documentation of this occurring was your mother, and given your age… I mean, you’re 200 years old, no offense, so that would make her-“

“Really old. Just because Deaton is only aware of ONE instance, does not mean there have not been others. It is still extremely rare for something like this to happen, and given the ratio of werewolves to humans, it’s intriguing that it does not happen more often. Weres find human mates more often than not, but in almost all those situations the couples are heterosexual and therefore conceiving is not an issue, but that doesn’t mean it will NEVER happen. There have been three other occurrences such as this, and yours brings the total to five including my mother.”

Stiles let it all sink in. His mind was going at a million miles an hour. “So, the next full moon…” He turned to look at Derek. “I’ll be able to run with you. With all of you. Jackson’s gonna be so jealous.”

Derek rolled his eyes, but fondly. His scent changed and became more earthy mixed with that scent Stiles couldn’t quite place.

He turned back to Gustav, who was packing his papers back into his bag. “After I fully shift and complete the cycle, so to speak, will it be easier for me to identify scents and such?”

“Yes, it should. As a wolf you will be able to pick out individual smells more easily and catalog those, especially the scent of the pack.” He looked up and smiled fondly. “I presume you’re wondering what the scent is that you can’t quite pinpoint mixed in with Derek’s.”

Stiles nodded. “Yea, the base scent I always pick up is earthy and salty, like he’s been running. There’s variations of it depending on his mood- don’t give me that look, Derek- but there’s another scent mixed in. It’s always there, sometimes more potent and other times more subdued. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“It’s you, Stiles. You both have aspects of each other. It’s not unlike the pack smelling similar to one another, but the more time they spend apart, the less and less they smell alike and soon they only smell like themselves and the environment around them. You and Derek though, as a sort of matched set, will always smell like each other. After the first shift, it will be more prominent, especially since he is the Alpha. As an Omega, you’ll carry his scent more heavily than he’ll carry yours, but should you separate for any period of time, any wolf he comes into contact with will know he is spoken for. It will be especially so after the first werepup is born.”

Stiles’ head whipped around so fast, if he didn’t have super bones his head would have flown clean off. “Say what now?!”

Derek was suspiciously silent.

Gustav seemed to pale a little bit, shifting uncomfortably (which Stiles found surprising considering the previous subject matter) before remembering himself. “Uh, yes. Now that you’ve turned, after the first shift to a wolf and back, your internal organs will also shift around making it possible for you to conceive. There will not be a natural birth given your gender anatomy, but yes, you and Derek will be able to have children.” He attempted a smile, but it looked more like a grimace considering how Stiles felt his face drop and his body slump back into his chair.

“I…Babies…?”

Still not receiving a response, he narrowed his eyes and turned to face his mate. Derek’s entire face and his neck down to his collarbones glowed pink.

“Did you know about this?” Stiles’ voice was dangerously soft.

“Deaton may have… hinted at it. But nothing concrete since he didn’t know much. He said Gustav would know more, so there was no point in saying anything until we talked to him.”

Gustav had quietly exited the room. Sneaky 200 year old warlock bastard.

Stiles willed himself to relax and moved to wrap himself around Derek like a spider monkey.

“You are not a spider monkey. You’re a werewolf. My werewolf. My Omega. My mate.”

“I can’t believe you can knock me up now. Well, after my first shift, after my insides go all wonky.” He pulled back far enough to look at Derek’s still-flushed face. “We’re gonna be able to have babies…”

Derek whimpered as Stiles rocked his hips. “Oh my god… is the thought of you knocking me up turning you on right now?”

Derek didn’t even bother to come up with an excuse for his reaction. He just nodded and lunged for Stiles’ mouth, wrapping his arms tightly around his mate. “What happened to taking it slow? Or have you changed your mind now that you’re thinking about all the hot-“

“Don’t even finish that sentence,” Stiles interjected between kisses. “I’m still all about taking it slow. I only just got to college. I wanna graduate pregnancy free. I refuse to be a statistic.” He rocked his hips again, harder this time, drawing another filthy moan from Derek.

“Oh fuck… you’re gonna look fucking perfect carrying my pups…” Derek’s hands gripped Stiles’ hips harder, and Stiles found himself wondering if he would still have bruises for a few days before they faded, or if they would fade immediately. Feeling Derek’s erection pulse under him cleared his mind of everything but the arousal pouring from Derek’s body, definitely smelled like cotton candy, and rain, and maybe cinnamon, but that might have been him.

“Yea…? You gonna breed me? Keep me barefoot and pregnant, surrounded by our little pack?” Stiles could not deny the flood of arousal coursing through his veins and mingling with Derek’s. His blood felt like it was about to boil over. Derek’s erection pressed hard against Stiles’ as his hands fumbled to get the under his shirt, to feel naked skin under his fingertips.

“Too many clothes… Fuckin…pants… I can’t wait to fuck you through your first heat. Feel how slick you get for me, body begging me to breed you full, knot you as many times as I can until it takes…”

Stiles’ brain skidded to a complete halt. It was like a needle scratching a record, except the needle was Stiles’ dick. Derek’s hand stilled from its compromising position in his pants.

“What now? Heat? As in, dog going into heat?”

Suspicious silence meet rapid heartbeat.

**“GUSTAV!!!”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going up earlier than I intended because given the circumstances for the upcoming week, I will have little to no time to write or post anything. So don't expect anything until Friday earliest. 
> 
> ALSO- the movie I'm talking about that Stiles mentions is called WOLF, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Jack Nicholson. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. It's the movie that spawned this epic writing adventure. I remember watching it years and years ago when I was a wee thing. I couldn't put it in the tags or mention it earlier because I didn't want to give anything away because that would have been a HUGE spoiler ;) I've taken liberties with it, but the idea behind Stiles' sudden transformation is the same. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read/commented/kudos - and even those who haven't - I'm thrilled you all are enjoying this as I am enjoying writing it :) :) :) You are all awesome.


	6. In  Which Things Hang By A Thread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was coming, that 'talk' where everything is out on the table and neither can communicate properly. Derek might Alpha out, but only because he can't really control it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm an evil betch. And I'm only sort of sorry because it needed to happen. *hides under covers*
> 
> On a positive note, its the WEEKEND! So I can write again.
> 
> No real beta by the way, so any mistakes/grammar issues are mine.

It wasn’t that Stiles wasn’t happy with his situation, their situation, THE situation. But it definitely threw a wrench in the whole ‘college and life’ plans. Derek pouted the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon, refusing to let Stiles out of his sight for more than a minute before he got anxious. They argued at length over his returning to LA: what would happen if he encountered other weres, how to avoid awkward situations (like when Scott wolfed out on the lacrosse field in high school), going into an early heat (Stiles highly doubted that would happen since Gustav said it would occur AFTER the first full moon he transformed). After Gustav was dragged back into the room after the ‘heat’ revelation and explained AT GREAT LENGTH what would happen, he gave Stiles copies of all the information he had. Stiles then exhausted the literature sources on the subject, found more research on his own, and felt more than prepared to deal. The heats wouldn’t happen every month, but until his body found its rhythm, they would be sporadic for the first few months at most. Derek’s nostrils flared every time Stiles mentioned ‘going into heat.’ He would have found it hot if it didn’t make him nervous. 

“Derek, I have to go back to school. I have classes. I have practice. I need-“ 

“This isn’t right. Or fair.” Leave it to Derek to pull the ‘fair’ card considering everything he had done. 

Stiles threw up his arms in frustration. “DEREK! I can’t not go back to school. Its mid September! The forms are signed, scholarship money is in my account. I have responsibilities!”

“And I have to take care of you!” Derek crowded Stiles against a wall. “I messed up once, leaving you… I should have resisted Peter and found a way…” His voice broke as his hands moved to rest on Stiles’ waist. He was resorting to underhanded tactics and Stiles was not having it. He might be Derek’s mate, but he was still his own person.  

“Derek. Stop freaking out.” He got a red-eyed Derek staring at him. He could feel something inside him want to curl up and submit. “Stop. What you’re doing right now, with the eyes, THAT is not fair. You don’t get to pull that card. So step off.” 

Derek’s eyes didn’t turn back to normal, but he did back away giving Stiles some room to breathe. “Stiles…” 

“Shh. No, you listen. You don’t get to come back and suddenly I have to do everything you say because you’re the Alpha.” 

“ _Your_ Alpha.” 

Stiles ignored him. “You were gone for over a year, no explanation at all for any of it until you came waltzing back in like nothing had changed. Because for you and the rest of the pack, nothing had changed. You all still stayed in touch and had your Thursday night Skype dates while I was coping with everything.” 

He saw Derek’s eyes flicker to where his scars once were, and if anything, that just made the growing anger burn that much hotter.  

“Yea, I fucking cut myself because I couldn’t figure out how else to deal with it! And you know what?! It made me feel better! And then I stopped and I thought I was over it, over you, over everything and finally able to move the fuck on with my life and guess what? You. Came. Back.” 

Derek looked like he wanted to speak but Stiles kept going. He couldn’t stop, and he didn’t know that he wanted to stop.  

“You came back, and goddammit if that first night I didn’t want to start up again. I could feel it, Derek, crawling under my skin like a sickness. I wanted to, so goddamn bad. But then I thought you’d be able to smell it and tell my dad, or Melissa, or do something equally fucking obnoxious. So I didn’t, and then we had our ‘moment’ and got everything out on the table. And now-“ He gestured at himself, at the world in general. “Now this. Now suddenly, despite all your mate searching around the world, I’m it because your wolf identified my dormant wolf decided to make it happen. Why this couldn’t have happened earlier? Beats me. We could have avoided all of this bullshit. But it didn’t. And now you’re acting like a fucking victim because I want to go back to my life and go back to school. Like you’re suddenly the wronged party here. I didn’t ask for this, Derek.”  

He almost added _I didn’t want this_ , but it wasn’t entirely true. He wanted it, he wanted to be with Derek in every way, but they were moving way too fast in way too short a period of time. Stiles wanted this, but he didn’t want it right this very second.  

The silence that settled between them was eerie, and Stiles could feel the angry charge in the air not only coming from him, but also a very pissed off, very dominant Alpha standing barely four feet away from him.  

“I know you didn’t ask for this, Stiles. I didn’t ask for it either. You think I want to feel this way? You think I want to feel like I need to protect you from everything, no matter how stupid it sounds to you?” 

Stiles scoffed, aware it may not have been the smartest move: goading an Alpha. “How is this any different than any other time you laid down the law about what I could and couldn’t do?” 

“Because you’re my mate now, Stiles! You’re my _Omega_ , and my _Alpha_ NEEDS to protect you! You’re all but telling me to ignore my basic instinct of wanting to take care of you! I can’t just pretend its not there!” 

“You can’t control my life, Derek!” 

Derek growled. Loudly. The wolf in Stiles that had been resisting submission gave in. It was a dirty, underhanded move, and it hurt. It cut deeper than the blades Stiles had used on his body, deeper than the rejection he felt after Derek left. He didn’t realize he was whimpering until he felt a hand on his shoulder, the sudden contact bringing him back to himself. He batted it away, scrambling across the floor towards the front door.

“Christ… I’m sorry… Stiles…”

He managed to pull himself up and swing the door open. Derek’s eyes had shifted back to green, painful grief clearly visible even if Stiles couldn’t discern the dry scent filling the air. 

“Fuck you, Derek.” 

He slammed the door and all but ran to his Jeep, not bothering to look back to see if Derek was behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a side note: I may write a separate part to explain a few things because I feel as though I may be unclear on a few things. That being said, the fic isn't complete yet. Bear with me, is all I ask. Thank you for all your encouraging words regardless :) You are all awesome.


	7. In Which There Is Damage Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles gets an unexpected but highly welcome visitor. And everyone becomes friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I left the last chapter on a rather...angsty note. I hope this makes up for it :)  
> No beta- all grammer/spelling mistakes are mine.  
> And thanks to Mulder200 for the inspirational 'damage control' comment used in the title. 
> 
> Added tags: frottage, Derek wolfs out a little (in the good way), minor dom/sub undertones, come play, scenting, scent-marking, Alpha/Omega dynamic

Stiles threw himself into schoolwork and lacrosse. For a few days after his and Derek’s argument, he seethed. After leaving Derek’s apartment on Sunday afternoon, he composed himself and drove back to his house to grab his bags and spend another hour with his dad. Derek didn’t show up. Stiles didn’t know if he should feel relieved or hurt. Before he left, he lay a new line of mountain ash down in his room. Mate or not, he didn’t want Derek going through his stuff while he was gone. Curiosity got the better of him so he rubbed some on his hand: that shit burned. The fact that he managed to encase himself in the shield he made didn’t make matters better either. His dad had to come and rescue him, but not before getting a chuckle at his expense. God forbid one of the vials broke in his room and it got on his clothes. That made the list once he got back to school. Last thing he wanted was a mountain ash mishap now.

When he arrived at school later that night, he had no missed calls or texts from Derek. At all. Really, what should he have expected?

Gustav and Deaton had given Stiles supplementary reading regarding what to expect until his first shift, and Stiles poured over the volumes relentlessly, memorizing virtually every line of text in his free time. The guys on the lacrosse team noticed his increased stamina and agility, and Coach gave him a starting position, much to the chagrin of the two upperclassmen who still thought he was a loser. Stiles shrugged it off and focused on not hulking out on the field. His teachers commended his work and commented on the possibility of him skipping some general education courses in order to pursue more challenging classes. If everything went well, he could be placed in a paid internship position in a lab the following year, provided his grades don’t slip. Everything was going exactly the way Stiles wanted it too. 

Everything except for Derek. 

Stiles’ finger hovered over the ‘CALL’ button on more than one occasion, and he’d typed out various texts but never sent any of them. Two weeks went by and the full moon drew closer. His sense of smell was getting better, as was his interpretation of the human heartbeat. He hadn’t run into any other weres, but then again he didn’t spend a whole lot of time off campus. Between studying, lacrosse, the Wiccan club (yes, he was still participating), trying to have a social life with the friends he had made (most of whom were on the lacrosse team) and reading in general, he just didn’t have much free time. He already had an excused absence for the few days prior to the full moon (massive wedding, best man), leaving early Thursday. He didn’t have to worry about the rest of the week since it was fall break conveniently enough. He had almost nine days off. All the reading material he had said the effects of the first time would last roughly 3-4 days. The full moon fell on the Saturday so he vehemently hoped it would be ok given all the extra time.  

Isaac had come down to visit once, excited and nervous. He kept quizzing Stiles on scents, and hovered over him reading all the information on the shift. He also practiced telling lies so Stiles could get better at reading heartbeats, but Isaac had such obvious tells and was such a terrible liar, Stiles had to fake it a little. Isaac tried to bring up Derek once or twice, but Stiles didn’t want to hear it. He wanted Derek to make it right, not for Isaac to try and smooth things over. Part of him thought that this was Isaac’s way of trying to fix the wrongs from before, when Derek was gone and everyone kept in touch. He thought Isaac might be feeling guilty, but he already promised himself he wouldn’t use his ‘powers’ on his friends by detecting their lies or pointing out their feelings. Despite being wolves, they were still people, and they all had words.  

All except for Derek. 

Now it was Friday night, and Stiles flopped down on his bed, exhausted. Lacrosse had actually kicked his butt. Only one week left until the full moon and his body began feeling restless and out of sorts. He had taken a couple of hard hits and one left him winded. When Josh, his best friend on the team and a scholarship player, jogged over to help him up, Stiles eyes must have flashed because Josh looked startled for a second before reaching down again. Later, in the locker room, he asked if Stiles was ok. He shook it off, saying it was just a hard hit and his eyes must have caught the light in a weird way. Josh looked at him funny for a moment, and then slapped Stiles’ back.  

“Can’t have you falling out before the first game, Stilinski. Not when you’re the first freshman in almost five years to start.” 

Stiles laughed. “Dude, me falling out should be the least of your worries. Homework and Dr. Krippen’s class is more likely to kill me than lacrosse.”

Josh’s eyes glazed over. Dr. Krippen was the head of the Science Department, and taught Biochemistry. Stiles had tutored Josh and a few other classmates already, and even Stiles found himself hating life. In his humble opinion, Dr. Krippen was unnecessarily harsh and she had a nasty habit of giving pop quizzes at the worst possible time. He had no idea how some of the students haven’t revolted, or thrown flaming bags of dog poop at her car.  

“Don’t mention her in this sacred place,” Josh said, following Stiles towards the showers. “If she had it her way, EVERYONE would be failing. Last year, word is the President of the University had to tell her to lay off because so many students had failed the course. No one wanted to take her class it was that difficult.” 

Now Stiles’ eyes glazed over. “I can’t imagine her class being any more difficult than it already is.” Just the thought scared him. But at least when the semester was over, he would be done with her. He hoped. 

Now, showered and back in his room with a full belly, he held his phone up and debated. Phone call? Or homework? He didn’t have a whole lot to do since there had been no practice last weekend so he made sure he was well ahead of the scheduled assignments. All he had to do this weekend was make sure he stayed ahead in everything (especially in Krippen’s) and attend lacrosse practice on Saturday morning. Maybe he’d even take the guys up on their offer to go out Saturday night since the Wiccan girls all went home this weekend. They were his excuse for not going out on Saturday nights since that was when they had their night meetings. Oftentimes it turned into a girls night, and since Stiles inadvertently outed himself, they were more than enthused to have him join them.  

The decision on homework or phone call was made for him when his phone rang.  

 _Derek_. 

He froze. And before he could think twice and ignore the call, he answered. 

“Hi.” 

“Hi.” 

Silence. And breathing. Silent breathing. 

“How are you?” Stiles felt like he was back in freshman year of high school and Janet Mason called him about homework and he got the butterflies and stuttered because _Holy shit Janet Mason was calling_. Janet was no Lydia, but she was close enough all things considered. Stiles later found out she liked Lydia too which made her even hotter.  

“Stiles?” 

“What? Huh? Sorry, I zoned out for a minute.” Nice one.  

“I said, I’ve been better. How are you?” Derek sounded like he was trying really hard to do this right. And Stiles felt kind of like a douchebag for not paying attention.  

“I’m ok. Lacrosse practice was a little intense, but I think it’s because the full moon is right around the corner. I already have an excuse to leave school a few days early, so…” It was surprisingly easy to talk to Derek on the phone, despite picking up tension from the other end. Stiles might have been acting selfishly, and he really should be the bigger person considering Derek’s emotional stuntedness.  

“I’m not emotionally stunted. You’re just difficult.” Stiles needed to stop and think before stopping and thinking and saying things out loud without realizing it. Luckily, there was no real heat in Derek’s voice, but he still sounded annoyed. And maybe a little betrayed. And if Stiles really thought about it, yea, he was within his rights to feel that way.  

“Do you want to come down this weekend?” He blurted out before he could stop himself. Or lose his nerve. “I know it’s late and I have practice tomorrow morning but afterwards I’m free since I’m already ahead on homework so-“ 

“Yes!” Derek interrupted before Stiles continued to ramble and say something he might regret later. “I mean, if you want.” 

Yes, Stiles really, REALLY wants. 

“Yes!” Damn his lack of filter, and his impulsiveness. “If it wasn’t such a long drive I’d say come down tonight but I don’t know if you want to do that since it’s already late. That and sitting through lacrosse practice tomorrow might not be fun for you since it’d be like high school all over again and I don’t want you to be bored…” 

Silence. And it sounded suspiciously like Derek might be shuffling his feet. In grass. There was a small quad area outside his dorm. With grass. 

“You’re already here, aren’t you?” Stiles tried to sound annoyed, but he felt like bursting with happiness. He didn’t realize how much he missed Derek until the thought of Derek being RIGHT THERE filled his mind. And not all of those thoughts had pure intentions. 

“I just…missed you. I would have been happy just seeing you and making sure you were ok, especially after Isaac went on and on about how he came to visit and-“ 

Stiles stopped listening and grabbed his shoes and keys and rushing out the door. “I’m coming to find you. And don’t make it easy either.” 

He swore he could hear Derek’s grin as clearly as he could hear his heart beat increase. The sound of Derek running, feet hitting pavement, then grass, then pavement. “Are you going to hunt me down, Stiles?” His voice dropped an octave. That, coupled with the sound of heavy breathing, went straight to Stiles’ dick. Thank God for sweatpants and boxer briefs, otherwise anyone he bumped into might get a sneak peek at what he might be hiding in his pants.  

Stiles felt a rumble in his chest. “Yes. So I hope you find a good hiding place.” He ended the call and shoved the phone in his pocket next to his keys. He waved at the RA on duty (Lance?), saying he was getting a friend and he’d be back shortly. Pushing the double doors open, he stepped out into the cooling night air and inhaled deeply. Glancing around the quad, he caught no other human scent nearby. _Probably all at parties on Buffalo Street._ Breathing deep again, he focused. His eyes snapped open, feeling the shift start but forcing it down. There was plenty of time for that later. Right now, he had caught his Alpha scent.  

The chase was on.  

\- - - - -  

Stiles lived in the Delta Terrace dorms, roughly right in the center of the UCLA housing area all the way in the northwest corner of the UCLA campus. Derek _probably_ parked in Lot 15 next to the tennis courts, the closest parking lot to Stiles’ dorm. Marshall Field and the lacrosse practice field were directly east of where he was standing right now, and Derek’s scent trailed off in that direction.  

So he ran. No way Derek would make it easy for him to find, although he might take pity since Stiles hadn’t had nearly as much practice tracking as he and the other members of the pack did. He wasn’t holding out though, just in case. Stiles also knew this campus a lot better than Derek. As he got closer to the playing fields, the scent drifted away and Stiles slowed down. His nose turned him southeast towards Strathmore Place and the engineering buildings.  

He passed a few girls he recognized from his English class and they waved, giggling as he jogged past. He knew one of them, Lindsay, had a crush on him because her best friend, Darcy, dated one of the guys on the team, Lucas, who teased Stiles relentlessly about it. Lacrosse and being a wolf helped him fill out in the short time he’d been at UCLA. Stiles would have been blind not to notice the attention it started getting him.  

Stiles slowed down slightly to greet them and explain why he was running at night. _Excess energy, you know how it is._

He saw Lindsay’s face flush and knew exactly what was going through her mind. If Derek wasn’t waiting for him, and if he was single, and not a wolf, Lindsay would make a good college girlfriend.  

 Striking those thoughts from his head because _Hello, Derek_ , he continued his jog until the scent tapered out again.  

“Dammit Derek…” He stopped and focused himself again. Hearing wise he didn’t pick up anything unusual, but he caught of whiff of something Derek-like and started running again, but once he got to the Geology buildings he had lost it completely. Of course: earthy scent, Derek, Geology and its penchant for all things rocky and earthy. Maybe he shouldn’t be so tough on Jackson and his lack of scent capability. This was harder than it looked. Or smelled. 

He was on the verge of dragging out his phone when a gentle breeze kicked up. _There it is._ He turned south and sprinted. 

Life Sciences. The Botanical Gardens were right next to the buildings where he spent the vast majority of his time. Of course Derek would go there, all the way on the other side of campus, the place that smelled most like Stiles. The area was gated but he knew his way around, and a fence wasn’t going to stop him from getting in. He hoped Derek took care to notice the various cameras around the park perimeter. 

Stiles hopped the fence easily enough and moved silently through the garden. He didn’t know the layout as well as he liked, but when he was here, he tended to gravitate toward the butterfly/bird garden or the California native section. Birds and butterflies might be a little hokey for Derek so he crept towards the California natives. The scent got stronger the closer he got.

Crouching low, he was moving behind a particularly large shrub when a snap resonated in his ears.  

“Oh-“ 

He didn’t get a chance to turn his body when a very heavy Derek landed on him, a low rumble vibrating against Stiles’ back.  

“I thought YOU were supposed to be hunting ME…” he said, his lips tickling under Stiles’ jaw and behind his ear. “Do you normally go running around at night, alone…?” 

Derek’s voice should not be allowed to do the things it was doing to Stiles. He lay fully clothed, in the dirt, and felt insanely exposed. And dammit if it wasn’t hot as fuck.  

Stiles could only whimper in response, rotating around as best he could under the weight, tilting his head back and baring the pale line of his throat. The rumble in Derek’s chest increased, and Stiles found himself winding his fingers in Derek’s shirt and trying to pull him closer.  

“Eager pup…” Derek chuckled, his voice still deep, like he was trying to gain control of his senses. Judging by the bristly hair on his neck, Derek must have shifted into Beta form. He willed himself to relax, letting his hands drop to Derek’s waist as he scent-marked Stiles. The heat radiating off his body would have been stifling if Stiles hadn’t missed it so much.  

The moment was broken when Stiles’ phone vibrated. The awkward shifting was awkward because Derek didn’t bother to lift himself up any to aid Stiles’ phone retrieval. The guy seemed perfectly happy to all but sniff and crush Stiles to death. 

“Who?” He asked, resting his mouth on the other side of Stiles’ neck.  

“Scott. Wants me to know that you might be driving down to LA. Just wanted to give me a heads-up in case I didn’t want to see you.” 

Derek must have remembered how they left things after Stiles left the last time they saw each other because he stiffened and shifted back to human before moving to pull away. Stiles’ free hand tightened its grip on Derek’s waist and wrapped the leg not pinned down around his thigh.  

“Stop. You’re here, I’m here, it’s fine. If I didn’t want to see you I wouldn’t have asked you to come down.” He leaned up and nuzzled Derek’s neck, fully aware of what it meant that Derek let him do it. “I didn’t realize just how much I missed you.” 

Derek relaxed and let his weight rest on Stiles again, although slightly off center so Stiles could breathe. He typed out a quick response to Scott saying Derek was already there and everything was fine before looking back at Derek. 

“As much as I enjoy laying in the dirt, I have a perfectly good dorm room. And I’m hungry, so pizza.” 

Derek’s stomach grumbled. 

\- - - - -  

Because the universe is the universe and Stiles is Stiles, he had to run into Lucas, Josh, Darcy, AND Lindsay at the local pizza dive. Of course he did.  

“Hey guys, thought you were all on your way to Ty’s?” Tyrone was the Captain of the lacrosse team, and he always threw ridiculous parties every Friday night when they had a scheduled Saturday practice. Always. The guy was a tank, and a sadist, but really cool. He threw parties virtually every weekend, but the ones before early practices were always intended to get everyone wasted with the intention of making them work twice as hard. Stiles established early on he would not be drinking, because underage and scholarship, and because he hated hangovers. 

Lindsay paused mid-bite and looked at Derek.  

Josh must have been started early judging by how he practically threw himself on Stiles which he only did when he’d been drinking. “Stiles! Who’s your friend?” He asked, leaning way into Stiles’ bubble of appropriate spacial distance considering DEREK was standing RIGHT THERE. 

“Uh, this is Derek, my-“

“Boyfriend.”  

Stiles felt his face flush before feeling Derek’s hand snake around his waist and try to remove him from Josh’s clutches. It didn’t really work since Josh had an Isaac-like cling factor, so Stiles just ended up awkwardly sandwiched. 

“Huh.” Josh’s eyebrow raised. “Josh. Me and Stiles are on lacrosse together. He’s never mentioned you.” 

“Recent development.” The flat tone of Derek’s voice harbored no room for debate. Stiles would be lying if it didn’t make heat pool low in his belly. _Heat. Derek. Fuuuuuck._  

Lucas cleared his throat and stood up. “I’m Lucas, also on the team. That’s Darcy, my girlfriend, and Lindsay.” His held out his hand which Derek took. Stiles felt ridiculously awkward. 

“Nice to meet you.” Derek said, his grip on Stiles’ waist tightening minutely. He smiled at Lindsay and Darcy before releasing Lucas’ hand. He cast a look at Josh, who still had his arm around Stiles’ neck, which was also dangerously close to Derek’s mouth, and Stiles had a fleeting image of Derek biting it to save his honor. Stiles was removed from his daydream when Derek looked at him with an perfectly arched eyebrow. “Usual?”

It shouldn’t have sounded so intimate, the way he said it, but it implied a very obvious, very intimate knowledge of Stiles’ food preferences. Which led to images of other intimate preferences Stiles had. And after their detailed discussion with Gustav, it did nothing to cool the burn. He could only nod since his breath was still kind of caught in his throat. 

“Ok,” he responded, and very slowly let his hand drag across Stiles’ lower back, teasing the strip of skin where his shirt had ridden up, before moving towards the counter. 

Once everyone ‘thought’ he was out of earshot, the questions came. 

“Oh. My. God. Stiles. He is positively fucking gorgeous. Like Mr July Fireman Calendar gorgeous. Where did you find him?!” Darcy was a little too enthused. Especially since Lucas was right there. Staring. Stiles felt his hackles rise. 

Lindsay looked rather dejected. Lucas was glowering at Darcy’s fangirling. And Josh was still standing a little too close considering he just met Derek, Stiles’ bona fide boyfriend. 

“Uh, we kinda grew up together. Sort of. Same town and all,” he explained, extrapolating himself from Josh’s arm.  

“I didn’t know you were into guys.”  

If Stiles hadn’t been looking at Josh’s face, he would have thought Josh was going to make a really big deal out of it. Like homophobic big deal. But he only looked confused, and… hurt? Stiles wanted to disappear. Josh LIKED him, and Stiles had no idea. Derek probably caught on the second they walked into the pizza place and Stiles had no idea didn’t even pay attention despite the wolfy senses and oh my God this was going to be awkward in the locker rooms considering they ALWAYS showered together. Stiles had to refrain from facepalming and quitting everything. 

“It’s kind of a Derek thing. I’ve really only ever been with girls, sort of, and he’s kind of the exception.” 

Josh didn’t look bummed out, but he didn’t really perk up much. He did, however, let go of Stiles and offer him a seat. Darcy started giving him the ninth degree on Derek, to Lucas’ continued displeasure, and asked if he had any siblings. Stiles didn’t want to go into his life story so he just said Derek was an only child. He sensed the relief and gratitude. He also firmly established that Derek wasn’t into girls. Or threesomes. Or anyone that wasn’t Stiles.  

Lindsay kept stealing glances at Derek’s perfect butt in those perfect jeans. “Why does he have dirt on his pants?” She turned to look at Stiles. “Why do you have dirt on your-“ Everyone’s eyes got simultaneously huge. Darcy grinned in a way that reminded him of Erica, Lucas rolled his eyes, and Lindsay and Josh just looked equal parts embarrassed and turned on. He didn’t know who was going to be more difficult to be around. 

Darcy spoke up first. “Is THAT why you were running around earlier?? Stiles,” her grin made him feel uneasy at the thoughts that must have been running through her mind. “You naughty boy.” Then she winked. Like she just _knew_ where Stiles had been rolling around.  

 _Time to go._  

Thankfully, Derek appeared with three large pizzas and soda. 

“I’ll see you guys at practice in the morning.” He reached to take the soda from Derek, who took the time to say good night and assured Darcy and Lindsay he would in fact be on the bleachers at practice so they could ‘chat’.  

“Don’t be too rough with him, Derek! He needs his strength for tomorrow.” Yup, Darcy was definitely UCLA’s version of Erica.  

Derek chuckled as Stiles pleaded for a bus to hit him.  

\- - - - -  

The pizza was gone along with most of the soda, and Stiles lazily lay on top of Derek on his tiny bed. Derek hadn’t really said much since Stiles talked at a mile-a-minute about classes and lacrosse and the Wiccan club (‘Still not funny, Derek’), and how his teachers were trying to get him into tougher classes. He knew Derek had no interest in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, but he listened patiently and nodded and made listening noises where appropriate. He even asked questions. Then, Stiles finally ran out of steam and Derek mentioned the pack and their college adventures. He seemed at ease with everyone doing what they wanted. Which brought them to their current state. 

“I didn’t mean to imply that you couldn’t do what you wanted with your life. Having been without a mate for long, and being resigned to the fact I could never have one that wasn’t you, I feel like if I let you out of my sight you’ll disappear. Or maybe you’d realize that you wanted someone that’s not me, or the life I have to offer.”

Stiles tried to lift his head to interrupt but Derek wasn’t having it. This new ‘let’s talk about feelings’ Derek was a little intimidating.  

“I know you say this is what you want, but you’re 18 and in college. And, although you did luck out with the single room, this should be all about new experiences and new friends. Josh really likes you…” Stiles didn’t need to see Derek’s face to know that this was a test, so he shook his head, turning his face further into Derek’s armpit, which should be gross considering they both ran around campus playing hide-and-go-seek and now they were eating pizza, but Derek smelled really fucking good.  

“He’s not you. And I didn’t even know he liked me. Some wolf senses I have if I can’t even tell that,” he mumbled. 

“Stiles,” Derek sounded huffy, like Stiles should be more interested in the fact that Josh likes him. He could be such a loser. “I’m just saying… I don’t want to control you, and I don’t want you to think I’m controlling you. I’m sorry I wolfed out the way I did. New situation and all that… I’m just… You…” He sighed heavily and Stiles felt the bed shift. Peeking up from his position, he saw Derek rubbing his eyes with his free hand, exasperated and desperate. 

“Hey…” He reached up and moved Derek’s hand, nudging his chin and raising his own face up to look at Derek’s green eyes and tracing his perfectly chiseled cheekbone with his thumb. “I know. I’m stubborn and I push, and I do goad you sometimes because I can. And I do appreciate you using your words.” He laid a soft kiss on Derek’s mouth, pulling away before he could deepen it. “You’re pretty amazing, despite what you might think about yourself. The pack thinks you’re awesome, especially Isaac who needs a figure he can look up to. I’m really glad this happened, regardless of the timing, because now its a real thing. Not that it wasn’t real before, at least I thought it was, but now its like FOR REAL for real.” 

He leaned up and repositioned himself over Derek, who looked so open and vulnerable Stiles was almost at a loss for what he should say next. He tightened his leg where it rested over Derek’s and slid the hand on his face into his hair. “You’re it for me, sourwolf. Congratulations, you’ve got yourself a Stilinski-sized ball and chain.” 

Derek chuckled and tilted his head back into Stiles’ touch, bearing his neck. Very slowly, Stiles lowered his mouth and kissed the tendon line running up to Derek’s ear, where he bite down gently on the lobe and tugged. 

Suddenly, he found himself on his back with a very handsy Derek rucking up his shirt and trying to undo his pants at the same time. 

“Woah, easy Alpha.” Stiles teased. “Practice tomorrow, remember? ” 

He did not whine when Derek stopped, and that whine did not turn into a moan when Derek sat back and pulled off his own shirt and tossed it aside.  

“You need a bigger bed,” he grumbled, latching on to Stiles’ neck once he managed to get his shirt off, and began sucking a bruise into his skin.  

All Stiles could do by way of reply was definitely not whine and hike his legs up on Derek’s waist, using his super strength to pull Derek down. _Bingo._  

The strangled noise Derek made did not almost make Stiles come in his pants. That would be really high school, and like taking a billion steps back considering this wasn’t the first time he and Derek had been in bed together with less-than-innocent intentions. Although, in his defense, he hasn’t had sex in over a year (and, thanks to Gustav’s probing, neither has Derek). He also knows he went from half mast to hard as a fucking rock, but Derek was right there with him, grinding down hard.  

“Get these open, or down, or off.” Stiles tried to reach down and fumble with Derek’s zipper at the same time Derek lifted Stiles’s lower half off the bed in an effort to slide his sweatpants down. It ended in exasperated huffing before Stiles relented and let Derek do the work while he laid back and took in the expansive stretch of sinew and muscle over him. Part of him wanted to turn the light on and look at Derek, really look at him, but he remembered he didn’t need the artificial light anymore. The lamps from outside cast just enough light in his room that Stiles’ wolf eyes took over and he saw Derek in a whole new way. 

Sweat beaded up along Derek’s collar bone and down the center of his chest. He swore he could see individual muscles flex and shift under his skin as he pulled Stiles’ sweatpants all the way off before he unzipped and unbuttoned his own pants, shoving them down just past his hips. Low enough for his dick to bounce free. It was the smell that hit Stiles first, before the actual sight. It was thick, and heady, and musky, and everything DerekandStiles, and fucking Christ. Derek wrapped a hand around himself and stroked up once, precome leaking out of his dick and dripping onto Stiles. Their combined scents were more potent than he could have imagined, and his head was spinning as his hands gripped the comforter bunched up at his sides and Stiles could come from the scent and sight alone.  

“Could you?” Derek asked, making the small, still-functional part of Stiles’ brain realize he was talking aloud. “Just from me touching myself like this? Not lay a hand on you, not let you touch yourself?” Stiles’ eyes reached Derek’s and they glowed red. It wasn’t the ‘angry’ red he remembered, but a red coupled with ‘sex’ and ‘mate’ and ‘mine’. Judging by the look on Derek’s face, Stiles eyes glowed his own brand of Omega gold just for Derek.  

“You’re so fucking perfect, Stiles… So mine…” 

Stiles keened under the praise, arching his back as Derek lowered himself over Stiles, still not touching his overheated skin. He could feel Derek’s sweat dripping down on him, mixing with his own. Coupled with Derek’s breath over the tender spot on his neck, it was too much. His hand seemed to move of its own accord to wrap around his own aching erection, but a low growl from Derek had him gripping his comforter again and this time, he tore through the fabric. 

“Just like this, Stiles… My perfect Omega…” Derek’s lips grazed Stiles’ neck at the same time his knuckles grazed his neglected erection, and Stiles was done. He couldn’t see or hear anything beyond the lights going off behind his eyelids and the rushing in his ears. In the background, he heard a dull roar he identified as Derek. He just barely opened his eyes in time to see Derek shift into Beta, panting heavily as his hand stroked his throbbing erection. It sent a spark down Stiles’ spine to know he caused this, that Derek trusted him enough to lose control and shift. He’d never done that before, and if Stiles hadn’t just come his brains out, he might be convinced to go another round. So instead, using every ounce of energy he could muster, he reached up and rested his hand on Derek’s chest, directly over his heart.

“…Alpha…” 

That did it. Derek came harder than Stiles. His chest heaved under Stiles’ hand as pulse after pulse landed on Stiles’ chest, stomach, shoulder, even on his chin. The hand that Derek previously had braced on the bed next to Stiles’ hip began rubbing their combined mess into Stiles’ skin. If Stiles could form a coherent sentence, he would have made a joke about marking and werewolves and weird habits. It wasn’t the first time Derek had done it, but it was the first time Stiles felt at ease and claimed. 

He didn’t say anything when Derek stayed in Beta form (he found it comforting), not bothering to fix his pants and instead shucking them all the way off. After some awkward moving around, mostly on Derek’s part because Stiles just could not move to save his life, they both ended up somewhat under Stiles’ ripped comforter for modesty’s sake. Derek pulled him in close and all but positioned Stiles on top of him, come-covered and all. 

Stiles had just started to fall into a completely blissful sleep when Derek spoke. “You definitely need a bigger bed.” 

Instead of responding, he raised the hand not trapped and slid it into Derek’s hair…or fur…Beta hair…whatever, gently scratching his scalp. If Derek purred and pulled Stiles closer, Stiles definitely didn’t make a bad pun about how purr-fect the situation was. And Derek definitely didn’t grumble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BIG HUGE MASSIVE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR BEING AWESOME! I wish I could invite you all over to my apt for cookies and movies.
> 
> And the content rating got raised to Explicit for all future updates. I don't think Mature will quite cover what I have planned.


	8. In Which Territory Is Claimed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles gets a wakeup call for practice from his friends. There is a minor altercation on the practice field. Stiles and Derek spend a day out in LA enjoying each other's company. And then two interesting characters show up...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'd for the most part. I did the best proof reading I could.   
> Consider this the update for the weekend since I'm going home and probably won't spend any time writing. Unless my sister corners me in which case, we shall see.

Waking up in the morning was…interesting. Mainly because Derek hadn’t shifted out of Beta mode, and Stiles had managed to roll away from him and lay balanced precariously on the edge of the bed. So when he heard knocking on his door, his body jolted so hard he landed naked on the floor, and Derek’s face peeked over the edge of the bed, grinning like a loon. 

“That’s all kinds of creepy looking.” Stiles mumbled, rubbing his buttcheek and searching for his sweatpants and a shirt because hello, still covered in werewolf jizz.  

More knocking. “Stiles! Practice starts in 30 minutes!”  

“Hang on, Josh!” _Let a guy get decent._ He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Derek himself was decent. He lay on his elbows, taking up the entirety of Stiles’ bed, and glaring hard at the wooden door. Looking all kinds of possessive. Complete with sex hair. If Derek was English, he would have probably said something along the lines of ‘How dare these lowly peasants disturb our morning slumber?’ It’d be like Shakespeare in the park with him. Stiles would never take him seriously, Alpha or not.   

“Dude, I know pract-“ He pulled open the door and found not only Josh, but Darcy and Lindsay and Lucas and two other girls Stiles didn’t recognize crowding the hallway. “What…?”  

Lucas sighed and stared at Darcy, who’s eyes were glued to Derek’s indecent torso. Stiles resisted the urge to growl. He heard Derek chuckle. Some noble Englishman he was, or wasn’t. Ass. 

“Darcy wanted to make sure you were at practice on time. And clearly,” he gestured to the others, “needed to make it an outing.” His eyes met Stiles’, and Stiles looked at him as apologetically as he could. He started to tell everyone he would be on time to practice when he heard the rustling of sheets, saw everyone’s eyes go huge, and felt an arm wrap around his waist. Stiles vehemently hoped Derek wrapped himself up in _something_ and did not just get up naked for the world to see his naked glory. 

“He’ll be there.” Derek said, perfectly polite as he pulled Stiles back into his solid chest (Stiles felt comforter and _Thank God_ ).  

Stiles turned to tell Derek he was perfectly capable of responding, but before the words could leave his mouth, Derek silenced him with a kiss and gently closed the door on their gaping onlookers. No sooner did the lock snick shut, the chatter started. He could scent arousal through the door, and he cursed his super senses in this very moment. He very clearly heard one girl say something about ‘his room reeking of sex’. Stiles groaned.

Derek pulled away with a very smug look on his face. Stiles pouted. “Really? Was that necessary?” He gestured at Derek’s physique and realized he’d ONLY covered the bare minimum when he’d gotten up. “Was THAT necessary?”   

His head fell back against the door, fully aware that if anyone was still standing on the other side of it, they would think something less than innocent was happening. “Everyone is going to be all ‘Check out Stiles’ hot boyfriend!’ and suddenly everyone is going to want to hang out with me just to ogle you-“ He was interrupted from his tirade by Derek’s mouth, and then roaming hands reaching for the hem of his t-shirt and pulling it off in one swift motion.  

“You should get ready for practice…” Derek uttered between kissing his mouth, his jaw, his neck. “Can’t have you be late… Everyone will talk.” 

“Everyone is already talking, Der, in case you hadn’t noticed.” Stiles tried to get upset. He really did. And maybe a small part of him was but Derek’s mouth was making it difficult to remember why he should be upset. Something about him not having any clothes on. “We both know there is not enough time for a quickie, and I would like to clean up-“

“No. Just put on your clothes.” 

“DEREK. I’m covered in bodily fluids. When I sweat, I’m going to be able to smell it.”

He could feel Derek smirk against the side of his neck. Before Stiles could make a comment about the lewdness of his behavior, Derek let the comforter drop, cupped his hands under Stiles’ ass, and lifted him up against the door.  

“Not fair. Derek, come on…” His hands clutched at Derek’s shoulders as his traitorous lower body rocked against Derek’s thrusts.  

“Two more minutes…” He mumbled against his collarbone, nipping and sucking at the pale skin. Stiles was about to argue that it better be a damn good two minutes, when their weight shifted and somehow Derek got a hand in Stiles’ sweatpants. His mouth latched onto the other side of Stiles’ neck, a spot that felt like it was hardwired directly to his dick. The half-dry, half-slick tug had him wantonly trying to thrust up into Derek’s hand.  

“Oh, oh, ugh, fuck…” His hand slid into Derek’s hair and pulled hard, earning him a loud growl. “I’m gonna-!” 

“Do it.” His hand tightened on the upstroke as Stiles’ hand tightened in his hair. 

He bit down the cry, instead moaning through the sensation of Derek’s hand and the warm tingling in his extremities. Stiles opened his eyes to Derek licking his fingers and moaned again.  

“Not fair…” 

“You keep saying that,” Derek said, leaning into Stiles’ space and licking into his mouth. If Stiles could get it up again, now would be the excellent time. “You’re the only one that got off here though…” 

Stiles blinked and looked down at the raging hard-on Derek was sporting. He whined. Words were too complicated at the moment, all things considered. 

A low chuckle broke through atmosphere of Stiles trying to communicate wanting to take care of Derek any which way he could. 

“You can make it up to me later.” He kissed Stiles’ slack mouth one more time before pulling away. “Now get dressed, you have about twenty minutes.”

\- - - - -  

He and Derek arrived on the field with a few minutes to spare, and it looked like everybody and their best friend showed up to watch practice. Not that Stiles would have complained on a normal day, more people that showed up to practice meant more people showing up to games. But today, today it felt like everyone was there because of Derek.  

Lindsay and Darcy snagged him the second Stiles set foot on the grass for warmups. He kept stealing glances at him, and realized he hadn’t ever seen the social part of Derek before outside of the pack. He wasn’t exactly comfortable with all the attention he was getting, and he thinks Derek must have sensed it because he kept turning his attention to Stiles. He couldn’t focus on the conversations going on, but he heard bits and pieces, and smelled a sickly sweet scent wafting over the field that he quickly shook his head to dissipate. Gross. He could have lived his life without having smelled feminine arousal on his college campus. Especially with regards to Derek. He’d have to learn to block this scenting thing quick.

So Stiles was jealous. Sue him. He was allowed. Derek came up to see him, to spend time with him, and now he was being fawned over and admired by people Stiles didn’t know and could care less about. 

“Hey Stilinski!” His head snapped over to Coach. “Let’s run that play from the other day!” 

He nodded and got into position next to Harper, one of the upperclassmen on the team that disliked Stiles for things as simple as breathing. Stiles felt jealous energy thrumming through his bones, and suddenly, he knew exactly where to put it. Bryant was issuing orders, making sure everyone knew where they were supposed to be.

“Never figured you for a queer, Stilinski.”

His spine stiffened. “That’s interesting. I always knew you were a judgmental asshat.” 

“You got a mouth on you. I don’t think your boyfriend’s doing a good job keeping it busy.” 

Stiles suddenly remembered Scott wolfing out on the field and no longer held it against him. He chanced a glance at Derek, who’s eyes locked on his in a warning. He knew Derek heard, and that made him even angrier.  

“Got nothing to say now? Or you just thinking about the ways I could keep your mouth occupied since your boyfriend can’t do it.” 

Stiles glanced at Coach, who gave the signal to start. He turned his attention to Harper. The ball flew into the air and Stiles took off. Harper was on his heels, but Stiles’ eyes never left the ball. He knew what was coming, knew the ball would come to him, knew Harper would try to stop him. Stiles signaled to Josh to fake the pass, and send it back to Bryant instead. Harper took the bait and went to check Stiles, but Stiles beat him to it. He shifted his body weight, waiting for the impact, and exploded up at the last second, sending Harper up and backwards. He barely registered the surprise and fear until Harper was on his back, wheezing for air. He walked up and started down at his teammate’s spread eagle form.  

“What’s the matter? The queer knock the wind out of you?” 

Stiles heard Josh running up behind him, and he became aware that practice halted, and the ambient chatter died down. He held out his hand for Harper, who stared hard, still trying to catch his breath. Slowly, his hand reached out and Stiles pulled him up. “I think we’re old enough to respect each other’s differences.”

Harper didn’t say anything, Stiles figured he was still trying to remember how to breathe, but he nodded once, lips tight. Stiles released his hand and picked up Harper’s stick. “Let’s get back to practice.”

When he turned around, Josh’s face described the tension Stiles could feel radiating off of everyone. “Everything ok?” 

“Just, uh, resolving our differences.”

“When you guys are done with your moment, the rest of us would like to get back to practice!” Ty’s voice cut across the field. “Stilinski, Tucker, Harper- six laps around the field after practice.” He turned his head and looked at Coach, who nodded and then proceeded to call out more instructions to the other players.  

“What?! But I wasn’t even-“ Josh interjected. 

“Seven! That’s because you pissed in my bushes last night! The only reason you aren’t hung over is because Lucas made you drink water for the last half of the night!” 

Stiles heard Lucas chuckle, but so did Ty. “You can join ‘em! Anyone else?” 

Abject silence.  

“Let’s go!” 

\- - - - - 

After practice, the raincloud that Stiles was used to seeing hovering over Derek was back. Harper didn’t quite apologize, and Stiles didn’t quite accept the not-apology, but they reached a sort of truce. Harper was a great player, and friends with Douglas (the other upperclassman that typically gave Stiles a hard time for existing), but Stiles was responsible for a lot of revamping with the team plays so they could have a better chance at play-offs this year. They all needed each other, and Stiles didn’t like the idea of losing it on the field and risking everything. 

Josh and Lucas complained silently during the seven additional laps while the rest of the team got their weekend. With most everyone gone, save for Derek’s adoring fanclub headed by Lindsay and Darcy, Stiles cleared his head, breathing deep and enjoying the LA weather. Then he remembered he was covered in come, and it sent a spike of arousal through him. He wanted a shower. Needed a shower. Without drawing undue attention at the speed of his laps, he focused on keeping a decent pace and recited chemistry formulas, incantations, anything. Derek noticed because when he ran past the bleachers, he scented the air. But it didn’t dissipate the raincloud. 

When he was finally done, he waited for Josh and Lucas to finish before walking over to the bleachers. 

“That was some hit, Stiles.” Lindsay commented, eyeing Harper as he walked past. 

Stiles shrugged, nodding at Harper once as he grabbed his bag. “Have a good weekend, man.” 

“You too.” 

Darcy did not hide her dislike. “I still don’t like him.” 

Stiles rolled his eyes, carefully avoiding Derek’s gaze. “He’s an ass, that hasn’t changed. But we reached a mutual understanding.” 

Lucas laughed. “Yeah, I’d rather be on his good side than his shit list, no offense. And if you bring that pain once the season starts, we will definitely have a great chance at-“ 

“You ready, Stiles?” Derek cut over Lucas. Stiles could feel the glare. He forced a grin.  

“I’m showing Derek around today, giving him the LA tour,” he said, noting the look Josh sent his way, and the surge of what Stiles could only describe as protectiveness. The last thing he wanted was a talk from Josh about how Derek was treating him. 

“Ooo!” Darcy exclaimed. “Maybe we could all meet up later at Fred 62 for burgers. That’d be fun, right?”

“Yea! Let’s do that! Maybe a movie or something later. It’s Saturday, we could run into a celeb or two.” Lindsay chimed in.  

Stiles rubbed a hand over his head. Going out with the group would be fun, but he also wanted to spend time with Derek. “I’ll let you guys know what the plan is once we figure out exactly what we’re going to be doing. Sound ok?” 

He looked over at Derek who relaxed his shoulders somewhat after noting the mild tension. “Yea, that’s fine.”

“Ok,” Lucas said. “I dunno about you guys but I’m in desperate need of a shower right now. I’ll catch you guys later.” He grabbed his bag and handed Josh his.

“Ok, see ya.” Stiles started walking in the opposite direction towards his dorm. Normally, he would have gone with Josh and Lucas to the locker rooms but he didn’t like the idea of leaving Darcy and Lindsay alone with Derek longer than he had to. Not to mention the little group of followers that lingered after practice that now disappeared when they realized nothing interesting was going to happen. 

They walked a little ways away from the field when Derek finally spoke up. 

“You remember what happened with Scott when he played lacrosse after being turned?”

“Why do you think I didn’t hit him as hard as I could have? I’m not stupid, Derek. And say what you want about being the bigger man. That guy and Douglas have been assholes since day one.” 

“Stiles,” Derek stopped walking. “I know you’re not. And I heard what he said. Trust me, I wanted to do exactly what you did. I’m just saying be careful. This kind of power can go to your head.” 

“You wanted to defend my honor?” Stiles grinned. “Be my knight in shining armor?” 

Derek scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I retract my statement.” 

“I didn’t exactly like all those girls pawing all over you either. That didn’t help. I compared Darcy to Erica last night, but now I’m thinking she’s worse.” 

“I’m just the older, more experienced man on campus,” Derek teased, pulling Stiles in and making him drop his bag. “They’ll forget I existed after a little while.” 

“I doubt it. Have you seen yourself? I don’t want to have to worry about you every time you set foot on campus, being whisked away by some eager-“ 

Derek kissed him then. An all-encompassing soul-searching kiss. “I’m more worried about one of them stealing you from me,” he said, a little breathless, eyes locked on Stiles’ lips.  

“Wouldn’t count on it, sourwolf. Like I said last night, you got yourself a ball-and-chain now. Can’t get rid of me so easily.” He leaned in and kissed Derek’s nose. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

\- - - - -  

Stiles didn’t make it to the shower until after giving Derek a blowjob that he SWEARS made Derek forget his name for about three minutes. He spent his time remembering how Derek tasted, and the things that drove him crazy, reducing him to a whimpering mess (which Derek would never admit to) before Stiles finally let him come. Stiles jerked himself off on Derek’s chest, realizing they would both have to go and take showers now. Thankfully, the only other person in the bathroom was on his way out. They kept the messing around to a minimum since the last thing either of them wanted was for someone to walk in. Stiles would have transferred, scholarship be damned.  

“You need your own bathroom,” Derek deadpanned as soon as the door to Stiles’ room closed.  

“And a bigger bed. Yea, I know. But considering I don’t exactly have the money for an apartment, and I would need a roommate or two, its kind of off the table for a while. Now come on, stop walking around half dressed and put some pants on. I’m hungry.”

He didn’t think twice about the off look at brushed over Derek’s face, and was gone before he could think about what it meant. 

\- - - - -  

Derek let Stiles drag him around the more populous parts of LA before he let it slip he’d been there before because he remembered the shady guy on the corner of Sunset. Stiles did not pout, he did not. Derek at least had the decency to look sheepish before buying him an ice cream cone and taking him to the zoo. Stiles eyeballed him suspiciously but Derek insisted he had never been to the zoo in LA because it’s no fun to go alone. At Stiles’ request, they stayed away from the Botanical Garden and the bird exhibits, but spent lots of time with the elephants and rhinos.  

“It would be so much fun to give an elephant a bath. I could only imagine how good that huge brush must feel on their backs. I hate not being able to reach spots when I have to scratch, and elephants can’t exactly sit down and do the hind leg scratch thing that other animals do.” 

“You say the oddest things.”

Stiles turned and arched his eyebrow. “You have known me how long, and are just getting with the program?” 

Derek blushed. “I just said you say them, I didn’t say I didn’t think of them either.” 

After the zoo, and the petting zoo because Stiles needed to pet a donkey, they grabbed a light lunch. And by light, it meant not dinner sized. The werewolf appetite was something Stiles’ always sympathized with but never experienced. He understood now how Derek could eat as much as a small army. 

“Do you want to hang out with your friends later?” Derek asked, eyeing the pile of french fries Stiles was hoarding before flickering his eyes back up to Stiles. And back to the fries.  

Stiles reflexively cupped his arm around his hoard. “If you want to. It’d be fun to hang out with them outside of school. I don’t normally go off campus, have no time.” 

Derek looked torn between getting another order of fries or patiently waiting for some miracle. Stiles relented and pushed his tray towards Derek. You would think the man was starved. “No, let’s do it. Figure out a time and we’ll see if we have time to go hang out at the beach for a little while.” 

Before Derek finished the sentence, Stiles was already on the phone with Josh. He and the rest of the group were already at Santa Monica beach. 

“They’re at Santa Monica now,” he said, moving the phone to the side. “You wanna join ‘em then we can head to dinner together after?” 

A look crossed Derek’s face. “Yea, that should be ok.” He pulled out his phone and stood up. “I’ll be right back, forgot to make a call.” Stiles went back to his phone call, not paying attention to Derek’s phone conversation.  

It was after they got to the beach that Stiles remembered neither had swim trunks, but that didn’t stop them from running around the beach in the surf. Derek, as it turns out, was really good at frisbee, and Stiles really liked watching him run around shirtless in the sun on the beach.  

“So, you and Derek.” Darcy couldn’t resist. 

“Yes, me and Derek.”

“You guys are really cute together.”  

Stiles rolled his eyes. 

“No really, you are. At first, you seemed complete opposites in the awkward ‘how are they together’ way. But seeing you guys be around each other, its like you have this push-pull routine. He moves, you move with him, and visa versa. Its kind of…poetic.” She took a long drink from her soda.  

Stiles was left rather speechless. “Wow… that’s… thanks, Darcy." 

She lowered her sunglasses and winked. “Make sure you keep him.”  

Before Stiles could respond, Lindsay waved them over to where a game of volleyball had started with a couple of guys she and another girl met further down the beach. Stiles spotted Derek with Lucas and Josh still tossing around the frisbee. The bottoms of Derek’s khaki shorts looked like he’d run out a little further into the water than necessary, but he figured it was still warm enough out that they would dry quickly. When he caught Derek’s eye, he waved and gestured at the volleyball court before jogging over.  

At first, everyone wanted to play boys versus girls, but the guys outnumbered the girls, and Stiles was awesome at volleyball so he sided with Lindsay and Darcy. Derek and Lucas stood on the sidelines, watching in avid fascination as Stiles’ team demolished the opposition. Stiles had to make sure he kept his movements to a minimum, not wanting to attract attention.

They were on the last set before planning to leave when Stiles sensed Derek’s ears perk up, and his own followed suit. He completely missed the ball coming his direction until it bounced on the sand next to him.  

“Stiles! Come on, its the last set! We’ve almost beat them!” 

He held up and hand and looked over at Derek, who’s eyes narrowed as a pair of twins approached the court.  

_Definitely wolves_ , Stiles thought, feeling his hackles rise, this time on the defense. He cast a glance at Lindsay, who noticed something was off and stood silently staring at Derek and the twins as they stepped away from the rest of the group. He started to make his way over, honing in on the conversation. 

The one on the left spoke first. “Haven’t seen you around here before.”  

Derek didn’t back down. “Not from around here.” 

Stiles now stood about a foot behind Derek, and then he felt it, the charge he felt around Derek sometimes when territory was an issue. These guys were Alphas, and this counted as their territory. Derek probably knew about this already, that’s why he looked reluctant earlier when Stiles asked. And the phone call… 

The one on the right scented the air. “You are though. Or at least, you’ve been around long enough.” The remark was directed at Stiles. 

“He’s mine.” 

The one on the left alternated his gaze between Derek and Stiles. “Mates.”

Derek nodded. Both wolves took a subtle step back. “I already spoke to your Alpha. I’m only here visiting, not planning anything more.” Stiles realized that when he told Derek he didn’t smell any wolves on campus, he hadn’t really thought about the wolves off campus, and who’s territory he might be on. _Way to go, Stilinski._   

“My mate wasn’t aware. Our situation is new, as I explained to your Alpha. He falls under Beacon Hills, so he’s off limits to you and your pack.”

Stiles was vaguely aware of the rest of the people around them, none moved closer but they stayed a decent distance away.  

“Derek Hale.” The one on the left spoke. “Ethan, and this is Aiden. Peace, between our packs.” He held out his hand.

“And may peace remain.” Derek shook it, and then turned to Aiden and did the same. The moment dragged on a little longer and Stiles noticed both twins had their eyes on him. 

“Stiles.” Derek said, and shifted slightly allowing Stiles to step forward, waiting for Ethan to extend his hand before reaching out with his own. He read enough about territory issues to know that the Alpha made the first move, regardless. He also knew enough not to speak without being spoken to, unless the situation prompted his input.  

“Hey, how’s it going?” Ethan’s lip twitched in what Stiles interpreted as an aborted grin. He smelled interesting, and different. More wet, and kind of like cotton candy. Which was weird.  

“Don’t worry, you smell weird too.” Aiden chimed in, holding out his hand to Stiles.  

“Oh good, and here I was thinking my nose was off.” Stiles cursed his inability to keep his thoughts to himself. 

The tension drastically decreased now that the ice had been broken. Even Derek let his guard down, but only a little.  

“Stiles?” Josh called out from the court. “Are you coming back?” 

Confusion filled the air, and Stiles realized it must look really weird for the four of them to be apart from the rest of their friends. His eyes flickered between Derek and the twins. Derek playfully nudged him away, and looked back at Aiden and Ethan.  

“Who are those guys?” Lucas asked when Stiles reached them. The guys on the other side of the court has started trying to one-up each other to impress the girls. 

Stiles waved his hand. “Just some friends of Derek’s. He wanted me to meet them.” 

“Those guys play for San Diego.” Josh said, admiration faintly noticeable in his voice. “I thought they looked familiar, but I only ever see them in uniform. They’re beasts.” 

Stiles chest tightened. “Huh?”

“Oh shit, man, you’re right. Toreros Twins, they’re fierce on the field. And the reason we haven’t beat San Diego in the past two years. Not since they transferred.” 

The chest tightening only got worse. “What? They play lacrosse too?” That opened up a whole new world of possibilities Stiles hadn’t even thought of. Being on a college team, he hadn’t considered other players on other teams being weres. There wasn’t a huge chance of there being that many weres Stiles’ age that he would come into contact with, let alone at a huge university, and here he was just proved the universe loved its curveballs because now he had to think about two Alphas on a team he would one day go up against. GREAT. 

“Stiles, are you ok?” Josh’s hand rested on his shoulder.  

“What? Yea, I’m fine. Just… too much sun.” He looked over at Derek, who was now making his way over with Aiden and Ethan in tow. _Relax._  

“Mind if we join a game?” Aiden asked. The girls who were previously lavishing their attention on the other guys turned to focus on the twins. Stiles couldn’t help but chuckle. 

The distraction in picking teams, which now involved Josh and Lucas since Derek took over care of a near-hyperventilating Stiles, allowed for some brief conversation.  

“So you play lacrosse too, huh?” Ethan joked, but Stiles was still having a hard time finding the funny. “I just meant the universe is kinda fucked up sometimes. Don’t worry, it’s not the first time this has happened.” That made Stiles feel a little better. That and Derek rubbing small circles on his lower back.  

“Ethan was saying its simpler than it seems. Since you have met in advance, you won’t be blindsided on the field. So this is actually really convenient. And they already know the wolves on the other teams, something you should look into. But you will NOT be arranging any meetings without me, is that clear?” 

Stiles nodded. “Dude, don’t worry. I have a hard enough time dealing with one Alpha in my life.” He smirked, and gained one in return. “So, here’s to playing fair on the field?” He looked up at Ethan who looked like he was trying to decide, and failing at being serious. 

“Yea, I suppose.” 

Derek placed a small kiss on Stiles’ forehead and looked like he was about to speak when Lucas called out.  

“Come on! Aiden and Derek are playing on our side, so Ethan and Stiles have to go on the other team to be fair.” He didn’t have to add that the girls were sitting this one out. Quite possibly to observe and gossip and chatter. _Girls_ , Stiles thought as he made to the other side of the net. _Might as well give them a show_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT AS ALWAYS :) Youse guys are the greatest!
> 
> Since you've read to the end, no doubt you noticed the appearance of Ethan and Aiden :) Their appearance will be explained more thoroughly in the upcoming chapter, and then later of the 'other' character that comes with them. This is another section where the canon-divergence plays a very large part. After posting the next few chapters, I'll have a better explanation of what happened so everyone's on the same page. Don't wanna give anything away just yet :)


	9. In Which More Explanations Occur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of the day at the beach, and Derek explains his earlier phone call. Stiles experiences a little more jealousy. And sex. Neither of them forget about the sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY for updates! I was beginning to think I would never get it done with all the work I've had to do, and still have to do. This chapter is relatively short, but I think its pretty loaded. More notes at the end.  
> Only beta'd by me :) So grammar/spelling mistakes are definitely mine. 
> 
> Warnings: fingering, rimming first time, anal (sort of??), cumplay, language, Derek wolfs out during sex (again)

The rest of the day went really well. Somehow, the volleyball game turned into Derek/Aiden vs Stiles/Ethan. He would be lying if he said it wasn’t aggressive, but all of them managed to remain in control. Aiden commented that there was a lot more to Stiles than met the eye, which made Stiles blush and maybe the tips of Derek’s ears go pink. He held his own on the field, and there was no animosity between any of them. Given the friendly competition, Stiles immediately felt more comfortable being on a lacrosse field with them. Ethan warned that there were other members of their pack who were not as ‘friendly’ when it came to non-pack members, but given Stiles’ standing in Derek’s pack, it should not present a problem. Before they went their separate ways, Derek and the twins stepped away from the rest of the group to talk about ‘Alpha things’ as Stiles put it in his mind. 

Lindsay seemed really interested in Aiden, and kept trying to catch his eye while he was talking to Derek. Darcy was trying to convince her to ask for his number. Stiles rolled his eyes. He waited until they were ready to go their separate ways when he made his way over to Derek and told him about Lindsay. Derek looked at Stiles, then Lindsay, and looked like he was about to laugh. Stiles swore that if he started laughing he would withhold the sex they hadn’t had yet. Funny how the wolf’s face straightened out. 

Derek called out to Aiden and explained the situation. Ethan chuckled and Aiden told Stiles that he would have to talk to his Alpha first. Stiles was confused momentarily before he remembered that his friends didn’t know about werewolves, and his situation was different because he learned about them in an unusual way. He then saw the humor in the situation, but simultaneously felt bad for Lindsay. She didn’t seem to have a great track record with picking available guys. Apparently, Aiden’s Alpha was not a fan of mixed relationships either. 

By the time they got to Fred 62, Stiles and Derek felt they could consume the entire menu. The itchy, nervous feeling was back under Stiles’ skin. He kept shifting in the booth and bumping the underside of the table. Josh and Lucas thought it was hilarious considering how he normally was always laid back and in control. Stiles forced a grin, but it wasn’t until Derek’s hand squeezed his thigh and shifted him closer that he felt a little better. 

They passed up on the movie since Stiles really didn’t feel like he could sit still through two hours of horror. He and Derek got a cab back to campus, leaving Josh, Lucas, Darcy, and Lindsay in the city. Stiles explained to Lindsay that Aiden wasn’t available at the moment. She looked hurt, and Stiles continued saying that it might be for the best since he went to San Diego and she was here in LA. Fish in the sea and all that jazz. She thanked him for at least putting a word in, then spanked him his butt in front of Derek and told him to get going. Darcy still looked lecherous as she watched them get in the cab. He felt really bad for leaving Josh and Lucas with two hormonal women.  

“I’m glad you’re not hormonal the way normal people are hormonal,” Stiles commented when they made it back to his dorm. The RA on duty, a girl named Clarissa, gave Derek a long once-over when Stiles checked him in, prompting him to slide a hand into his back pocket as they made their way to the stairs. Stiles smelled disappointment.  

“What?” Derek stopped halfway through pulling off his shirt. 

“With the hormones, like sex-crazed. I feel like that’s all Darcy and Lindsay think about. Like what you said earlier today about the girls on campus being all about the ‘shiny new toy’ and all. You’re hormonal, but in your own Derek-hormonal way.” 

Derek huffed, clearly annoyed. “I cannot believe you are calling me hormonal.” He paused and then gave Stiles a very sly, equally lecherous look that mirrored Darcy’s. He stalked towards Stiles, tossing his shirt aside, and placed both his hands on the wall behind him, caging him in.  

“I guess I could counter by saying you haven’t seen ‘hormonal’ yet, given the fact you haven’t gone into heat…” His mouth grazed the side of Stiles’ neck. “I could say that you smell like sex ALL. THE. TIME. So really, sex-crazed is something you should be familiar with…”

“Yea but… It’s in your general direction…” Stiles responded, his hands sliding around to Derek’s back and pulling him closer. He leaned his head to the side, resting his mouth against Derek’s shoulder. “I’m allowed to look at you like you’re sex walking… they can’t…” 

Derek’s chuckle rumbled against Stiles’ chest. “Jealous, Stiles? Because you REALLY shouldn’t be…” He nipped gently at the soft pale skin of Stiles’ neck. “You taste like the beach, and sweat, and smoke… and me.” 

“Maybe because we’ve been at the beach, and I sweat, and we were at a restaurant that-“ 

Stiles was cut off by Derek’s body all but crushing him against the wall. Derek’s tongue thrust into his mouth, licking around his teeth and the roof of his mouth. Stiles tried really hard to keep up, gripping Derek’s shoulder blades in an effort to stay upright. He started to get light-headed but he didn’t want to stop.  

“You smell so good, Stiles. It just keeps getting more…potent.” He dragged his mouth away from Stiles, letting him take a deep breath, although he wasn’t sure it helped any since the room started to smell like wolf sex hormones. It was thick and heady. His head was swimming at the though that he and Derek did this; this was theirs. Stiles was never more grateful for not having weres living on campus. It would be ridiculously embarrassing. His skin felt hot and tight, and a burning sensation started to grow inside him. Derek braced a thigh between Stiles’ legs like he knew exactly what he needed, and Stiles shamelessly rut up against it. He stopped trying to make coherent noises and let Derek take over.  

A hand slid between his shirt and lower back, pressing Stiles closer as it toyed with the waistband of his pants, like Derek was asking permission. 

Stiles nodded his head furiously against Derek’s shoulder, mouth open and panting against the hot skin. A hand undid the button and zipper at the front before going back to its position on the wall. The only thing holding Stiles up, from what he could tell since his legs felt like jello, was the thigh between his legs. Derek’s other hand continued its trail down into his pants and under his boxers, fingering the cleft of his cheeks momentarily before sliding further. Stiles tried to push back against Derek’s fingers, tried to get him to go faster, tried to get more. Sweat slicked the way, and soon, Stiles felt like his body had been shocked when Derek’s finger teased the rim of his hole.  

“Stiles…Stiles…”

His head lolled to the side and he looked up at Derek’s face, a pleading and strained look on his face. Stiles realized Derek had to be trying really hard to hold back, to be gentle with Stiles, to not take the way his inner wolf wanted to. It took some adjusting, but Stiles managed to get his own hand down the front of Derek’s pants, wrapping around the thick erection and squeezing. Derek choked, pressing his finger against Stiles’ rim until it eased in. 

“I want this… Derek… I need…” 

Derek shook his head, sending beads of sweat onto both of them. “Not yet… I can’t…”

Stiles whined, a high pitched sound he’d never heard himself make before, as he pushed back on Derek’s hand and stroked his dick, feeling precum slicking the way. 

Derek growled and withdraw his hand, but before Stiles could protest, he picked him up and deposited him on the bed, stripping off the rest of their clothes before positioning Stiles facedown. Stiles was about to point out this was completely contradictory to what Derek JUST said about ‘not yet’, when Derek’s FACE was RIGHT FUCKING THERE, licking at his rim like it was the best fucking thing he’d ever tasted.  

They had NEVER done this before. EVER. 

Stiles brain short-circuited. 

Derek’s tongue was everywhere. Stiles felt spit slide down his thighs and balls. He resisted the temptation to reach down and stroke his own neglected dick until Derek let go of one of his ass cheeks and all but forced Stiles’ hand on his erection. Stiles got with the program. He really tried to go slow, honestly, but the way Derek licked and sucked and nipped and sweet Jesus his tongue was in Stiles and- 

“I’m gonna…uuhhh…Der….Derek!” 

Derek’s tongue felt like it got rougher as it licked from the base of his dick all the way up. He did it once more before stopped at his hole again and thrusting back inside, the rough texture sending Stiles over the edge. 

He was still coming when cool air hit his ass, and the sounds of Derek grunting fill the air. He managed to turn his head enough to look back and see Derek jerking off, bringing the tip of his dick to rest against Stiles’ ass. The claws on Derek’s free hand dug into Stiles’ hip but didn’t break the skin, so Stiles reached back and held on to Derek’s thigh. 

The grunts turn into a low growling as Derek bared his teeth, eyes flashing red. Letting all inhibitions fly out the window (because really, after what just happened Stiles really didn’t think there was anything to hide), he took both his hands and spread his cheeks, giving Derek a perfect view of his pink, spit slick hole. He might have rocked back, letting the tip of Derek’s dick catch and slide. He did it again when he saw Derek’s chest heave, trying to suck in air. He snapped his jaws at Stiles’ overtly wanton display.  

Derek had to be close, so close Stiles could taste it. Stiles could feel his own dick getting hard again. Not wanting to come again without Derek, he got bold. He let go with one hand and shoved two of his fingers in his mouth, sucking them like he had sucked Derek off earlier. He let his tongue wind around the digits, getting them slick, before reaching behind himself again and pushing them both in at the same time. 

It burned a little, but Derek’s tongue had already done most of the work earlier. And seeing Derek’s face made the small discomfort worth every second. 

“Come on, Derek… Do it. Let me see you come.”

Derek all but roared, pulling Stiles' fingers out of his ass and replacing them with the tip of his dick. Stiles braced himself for the rest, but instead felt hot pulsing inside him. Stiles’ own hand went to his own throbbing erection and managed maybe half a dozen strokes before he came again, clenching around Derek’s dick, and fuck if that did not feel better than he remembered. Derek slipped out before he stopped, and came over all over Stiles’ ass. He felt it drip down his legs and into the sheets (he would definitely have to do laundry tomorrow), and felt Derek’s free hand start to rub it into his skin. 

Then his hips and knees started to protest, and Derek with his super senses, reached under Stiles and pulled him up and back into the vee of his legs. It was different, this kind of cuddling, but blinking through his sex haze he realized that the moon was shining in through the window. It didn’t quite reach Stiles’ bed, that would have been way too romantic and cheesy even for him, but the effect was roughly the same. Stiles turned his head and nuzzled whatever part of Derek his face reached, sinking into the warm touch.  

“You’re kind of a closet romantic,” Stiles mumbled. “But I’m not complaining.” He couldn’t wait and see what the full moon would bring.

\- - - - -  

They ended up falling backwards into the pillows, creating a nest out of the remnants of Stiles’ comforter, and falling asleep. They woke up a few hours later with Derek running his hand through Stiles’ hair as Stiles moved closer into the cocoon made by Derek’s body. Neither of them was particularly sleepy, but sex felt redundant, and the bed had already taken a decent beating. Stiles set an alarm so they could get up and shower with minimal intervention, after which Derek would go and get Stiles a new comforter to replace the one they shredded. 

“You need a bigger bed.”

“Old argument, Sourwolf. But this is a college dorm, not the Ritz Carlton.” 

Derek grunted. Stiles remembered what he was going to ask earlier before sex distracted him.  

“So, who’s the LA Alpha?” He asked, leaning up on his elbow and looking down at Derek. “I’m presuming it was him you called when we were having lunch.” 

“Yes, his name is Deucalion. Aiden and Ethan are part of his pack, among others.” 

Stiles contemplated that for a moment. “An Alpha pack?” 

Derek nodded. He explained that Deucalion had a habit of ‘collecting’ people, namely unique Alphas. He had tried to recruit Derek after he gained his Alpha status since Derek was a born wolf and could become a full wolf when he shifted, but he had refused. Deucalion had been a little offended, a little being an understatement, considering Derek didn’t have a pack of his own. 

“But now you do.” 

“Yes. I have a feeling he’ll make a bid for Scott since he’s a ‘True Alpha’ but Scott has already pledged to Beacon Hills. Should he choose to leave, it will be another matter.” Derek continued by saying that once his own family died, Deucalion made another attempt, but he’d already left Beacon Hills and effectively fallen off the grid. By the time he came back and resettled so to speak, the story picks up where he met Stiles, and all the glorious adventure that came after. Deucalion had another opportunity to seize Derek, but he took into account that Derek had a pack of his own and a potential mate, so he let it be.  

“Potential mate? Are you saying that Deucalion knew?” 

Derek sighed. Stiles could tell this was the part where he would shut down and just not want to talk about it anymore. So he waited. He didn’t push. If Derek wanted to tell him then he would. 

“That’s what Peter was worried about. Peter _thought_ he saw a deeper connection between us, and when Deucalion noticed it too, that’s when Peter all but gave me the ultimatum. Scott became an Alpha after killing Jennifer and rescuing everyone, so he figured since Beacon Hills had a stand-in Alpha, I could go and find a mate to assert my authority. Scott could have potentially challenged me for my position, but he wasn’t ready, and he’s still not ready. So I left.” 

This was not the pillow talk Stiles had in mind when he realized he and Derek were going to be together forever.  

“And you know the rest.” His eyes were bright despite the darkness, and any annoyance Stiles felt slowly disappeared.  

They looked at each other in silence for some time, enjoying the heat and the feel of their fingers on each other’s skin, the occasional kisses Derek stole when he thought Stiles’ wasn’t paying attention, and the ones Stiles stole back.  

“So you called Deucalion as a sort of heads-up. Just in case.”

Derek nodded again. “I should have done it before I left Beacon Hills to come see you, but I hadn’t really planned on staying. It was only after wandering around LA that I realized I needed to let him know the situation. The twins, Ethan and Aiden, they’re the newest members of the pack. Deucalion said he was sending a couple of his, I just didn’t know who they were. When they showed up on the beach, I figured they belonged to him. It was hospitality, believe it or not.” Derek stole another kiss while Stiles contemplated the hospitality part of it. “You did great by the way. Aiden was impressed. Most Omegas tend to be rather shy, and sometimes come off as rude because of it. But you were respectful, and you followed my lead.” 

Against his desire to retort something, Stiles soaked up the praise, tilting his head to the side, baring his neck.  

As Derek dragged his teeth along the exposed tendon, Stiles asked, “So does that mean I’m going to see them? Or are they just going to leave me alone?” 

Stiles felt Derek’s eyebrows knit together and his lips purse. “I should hope so. They have no claim over the school. If you want to go out like you did this weekend, I just ask that you tell me so I can pass it along. I know it sounds…micromanaging, but you heard what the twins said. Some of their pack isn’t as welcoming of new wolves, no matter what their affiliation. You might be spoken for in more ways than one, but they’re Alphas, and they can be territorial assholes.” 

Stiles had to snort. “Who knew, right?” 

The responding pout on Derek’s face made Stiles chuckle, but the very suggestive grip on Stiles’ ass hitching him up to straddle his Alpha turned it into something more dirty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to reiterate this fic IS CANON DIVERGENT. Deucalion and his Alpha pack do come to Beacon Hills, but as a response to Peter's request. Peter hoped that Deucalion could convince Derek to join his pack once again, seeing the appeal, and effectively clearing the way for Peter to become Alpha of Beacon Hills. Deucalion already caught on that Derek may have found a mate, and saw the effort as futile. He and the rest of his pack don't come into contact with Derek's pack. And the Darach situation is contained in Beacon Hills. Post-Darach, and Peter's still present desire to gain more power for the Beacon Hills pack, he gives Derek the ultimatum having received confirmation from Deucalion.   
> I know it sounds confusing - if anyone needs any clarification, shoot me an email (red_marionette25@aol.com). I'd rather not go into too much depth since more will be revealed in later chapters. Yes there is definitely more coming, I promise. It's all outlined and being checked and rechecked - it just has to be written down in story format and not bullets :)
> 
> Profound gratitude and tons of hugs/kisses/fist-bumps to everyone for the wonderful encouragement throughout!! Rock on!!


	10. In Which Complications Occur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long break has arrived and Stiles... Well, let's just say things are not going according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here be Chap 10. Warnings: violent!Stiles, involuntary sedative use.
> 
> Unbeta'd except for what my own proofing has done.

Stiles talked Derek into buying TWO new comforters and couple new sets of sheets, and maybe a few extra pillows on Sunday before he left. Stiles thought he made a really good argument for ‘planning for the future’ because he really didn’t want to have to explain to his dad why he needed new sheets every few weeks because he and Derek tore them apart. Derek, for his part, rolled his eyes and made a big show about selecting the sheets. ( _I get to pick, Stiles, because I’m buying them._ ) Stiles wasn’t about to argue, at least until Derek added that it wouldn’t be an issue if Stiles had a bigger bed. ( _Derek, for the last time, I’m locked in to the dorms for the year, and even then, I’ll need to find roommates and I don’t know that I could LIVE with Josh and Lucas, especially since Lucas comes with Darcy and with Darcy comes Lindsay and…_ ) He went on for a few moments before Derek finally threw a pillow at him under the guise of ‘testing its firmness and durability’. 

“So I’ll see you on Thursday.” Stiles was trying really hard to keep his hands to himself in the visitor parking lot given the small pockets of students milling around. _Don’t these people have places to be?_ Derek sensed his annoyance and pulled him into an all-consuming hug.  

“Calm down. You’re here til you graduate. Get used to the stares,” he mumbled into Stiles’ hair. “I’m glad you’re growing your hair out, by the way. I like it.” 

Stiles purred in response. He wondered if it was physically possible to melt into Derek. He never would have guessed the broody Derek would have turned out to be so tactile. He figures its a mate thing, and a Stiles thing. Stiles has always been relatively tactile with people, so it’s no surprise that he’s soaking up all the touchy attention Derek is giving him, especially now, on top of all the other attention- 

“Stiles, I swear to God. You may not have ADHD anymore but you have got to do something about the head/mouth filter that you lack.” He sounded like he was trying to be serious, but there was more amusement and less heat behind his words.  

“Shuddup,” he mumbled, not moving his head from its position against Derek’s shoulder. “You like it when I’m vocal.”  

“What am I gonna do with you…?”  

Stiles tilted his head up. “Kiss me and make everybody jealous?” 

Derek didn’t need to be told twice. 

Once Derek finally left (it may have taken some degree of maneuvering on his part since Stiles was rather reluctant to actually let go), Stiles grinned and waved at everyone he passed on his way back to his dorm. Josh met him outside, a perfect picture of a pitiful college student.  

“Please tell me I’m not going to fail Krippen’s class.” 

“You won’t fail Krippen’s class.”  

Josh scowled. “More conviction, if you don’t mind. I know you just spent the weekend getting boned by your boyfriend, but those of us who don’t have ridiculously good looking significant others need to find some hope to cling too.” His eyes dropped to the Biochemistry book in his hands. “Right now, the closest I’m getting to quality time with any one is the author of this book.” 

Stiles would be lying if he said he didn’t feel bad for Josh. He made up his mind in that instant that he would find him someone this semester; it was really the least he could do given his complete ignorance of Josh’s crush on him.  

“Dude, calm down. Seriously, you’ll do fine. The test is Wednesday, it’s Sunday afternoon, and you are doing well in the class despite all the stress and anxiety it causes you.” He clapped his friend on the shoulder, making his way to the double doors of his building. “Besides, you won’t have to stress about it over fall break.” 

“Yea, but she already said that we were going to get homework.” Josh sighed like a man defeated. “Grab your books so we can head to the library. And before you argue and say we can study in your room since you have the single, remember: you have the single and you just spent the weekend boning your boyfriend. There’s only so much a man can take.” 

Stiles’ laughter echoed in the courtyard. 

\- - - - -  

The drive back to Beacon Hills on Thursday was one of the most nerve-wracking drives Stiles had ever made. The drive was supposed to take roughly seven to seven-and-a-half hours, but waking up late and traffic and general California everything turned it into a near ten hour ordeal. Stiles called his dad an hour out, telling him to ‘Please for the love of God vacuum up the mountain ash lines’ he had laid down in his room. His dad ended up enlisting Melissa’s help and by the time Stiles got to the house, it was all gone. Mostly. Stiles could smell it around the house, probably because now he was hyperaware of it. 

“Are you ok, Stiles?” Melissa put a hand to his forehead. “You feel warmer than you should.” 

He resisted rolling his eyes when he saw the look on his dad’s face. _Don’t be a smart-ass_. “It’s the upcoming shift. My body is reacting a little differently since the change is more…profound, for lack of a better word. I just-“ He eased himself away as politely as possible, grabbing his duffle bag and giving his dad a brief hug before heading upstairs. “I need to lay down.” 

“Do you want me to call Derek?” His dad sounded genuinely concerned for health. Not everyday your 18-year old son turned into a werewolf.  

Stiles shook his head. “I just wanna be alone for a little while.” He smelled the concern and something he could only peg as distress. Neither of them could really help him, but they were trying. “Um, maybe some spaghetti or something. I know it’s late but-“

John held up a hand. “Sure thing, kiddo. I’ll bring it up.” He and Melissa disappeared into the kitchen.

In his room, Stiles smelled the cleanliness and home. Traces of mountain ash were still in the air but at least the biggest areas of it were gone. He could smell the spaghetti being heated up, orange juice; he could hear the clinking of silverware, glass, plates, the hushed voices of his dad and Melissa, running water, someone outside mowing their lawn. Before he got too comfortable, he stripped off his jeans and pulled on a pair of UCLA sweatpants, the pair he’d give to Derek after fall break. No one said he wasn’t sentimental, and given the time they would spend apart, leaving his clothes laying around is the best he can do.  

He was just so tired and wired at the same time. His phone read 8:30pm. Part of him felt guilty for not wanting to see Derek, but he really just needed not to see Derek. He couldn’t explain it. He should WANT to be around Derek all the time, right? A knock on the door made him sit up.  

“Hey. Food. Eat. Rest.” His dad passed the rather large bowl of spaghetti to Stiles and watched as he dug in. His stomach growled at the first bite.  

“This is really amazing. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Thanks, dad.” He looked up once he swallowed. “Really, for everything.” 

His dad waved it off, but Stiles could smell the embarrassment and gratitude and relief and love. “You’re my son, Stiles. Now eat and relax. I’ll be in later to check on you.” He turned to leave. “Oh, but if you do decided to invite Derek over, let me know. And tell him to use the door. I have the night off tonight, so I’d rather not have any surprises, if you know what I mean.” No one did the Dad-glare better than Sheriff Stilinski. Stiles swore that criminals confessed by use of the look alone.  

“Sure thing dad, but don’t worry. I don’t expect any late night visits.” He was about ready to go back to his food when a thought occurred to him. “Actually, dad, I think I’m going to ask Isaac to come over. Since we’re both, ya know…” _Please don’t make me go into it._  

A look flashed over his dad’s face before his eyes widened in understanding. “Gotcha. No worries. Tell him the side door is open and he can just come in provided he doesn’t track mud in and announces himself to the humans.” 

“Thanks dad.” Stiles took out his phone and started texting as soon as his dad closed his door. 

**S- Hey, I just got home. Can you come over?**  

**I- Hi! Sure! Is Derek there?**  

Stiles fidgeted.  

**S- No.**  

There was a lull in response. Isaac must have been busy. Now Stiles kind of felt like a needy-

**I- Everything ok?**  

**S- Yes. And no. I’d rather not explain via text.**  

He paused before adding: 

**S- I can’t really talk to him about being an Omega.**  

**I- I’ll be there in twenty.**  

Relief flooded through Stiles. 

**S- Side door is open. Dad says announce yourself to the humans. Don’t track in mud. And Melissa is over.**  

**I- K.**  

Stiles polished off the rest of the spaghetti and took the bowl downstairs. Melissa and his dad were on the sofa watching a movie. It made Stiles ridiculously happy to see his dad with Scott’s mom, and knowing that they made each other happy despite everything that was constantly happening. They both deserved this. 

“Isaac’s coming over. He should be here soon. The spaghetti was awesome, Melissa. Thanks.” 

His dad cocked his head. “How did you know she made it?”  

Stiles realized his dad probably didn’t notice the meatballs were vegetarian. He could sense Melissa stiffen slightly next to John. “Dad, come on. You can make noodles, but the sauce and meatballs are made by champions. And Melissa,” he said, gesturing with the empty bowl, “is a champion chef.” 

“Why thank you, Stiles!” Relief from everyone.  

“If you would just let me grill…” his dad mumbled. 

He was about to comment that his dad could technically still grill as long as he used vegetarian products, but Melissa was already running her fingers through his hair. He shut off his hearing and cleaned his dishes before retiring to his room to wait for Isaac.  

\- - - - -  

A part of him supposed he should feel guilty for turning to Isaac, but he was the only Omega in the group and Stiles felt that given their relationship, Isaac would be the last one to judge Stiles for anything. He did, however, tell Stiles to text Derek and let him know that he arrived home safely and that Isaac was probably going to be spending the night. As a heads up. Being mated to the pack Alpha and all. Stiles felt like a dick for not having texted Derek right away, although he did tell him when he left UCLA, and when he hit the halfway mark, complete with remarks about shitty traffic. 

Derek ended up CALLING Stiles, mildly irritated, but reluctantly realized that he really wasn’t the authority on the biology of Omegas. And Stiles had to promise a million ways from Sunday that he would call if anything happened. Then Stiles had to pass the phone to Isaac who also swore to call if something unusual happened.And to keep his hands to himself. Isaac took it upon himself to tell Scott that Stiles was back since he and Allison were with him when Stiles texted. Before Stiles could say anything, a full body shudder overwhelmed him and all he wanted to do was crawl out of his skin. The literature on Omegas Deaton and Gustav gave him had all been very clinical and straight-forward. It was a lot different to experience it than read about it.  

“I hate this,” Stiles groaned, pulling a pillow against his chest and squeezing. “Is it always like this? Nothing I read said it would be like this. It just said I would-“ Another wave of heat and needles worked its way through Stiles’ body. “GAH! Said I would feel hot and itchy. This feels damn painful almost.” He felt the tendons in his neck straining as he rode it out.  

Apprehension. “What?” He asked, watching Isaac remove his jacket and shoes. “What’re you doing?” 

“You know how after shifting during the full moon, we all get back and sleep in a puppy pile?” 

Stiles nodded, the idea dawning on him. “Are you saying I have to be cuddled? Shouldn’t I want to be cuddled by Derek?”

Isaac shrugged, settling down on the bed and pulling Stiles back into a bear hug. “He’s an Alpha. The inclination would be to turn it into sex somehow. Not always, you guys can have non-sexual cuddle moments I’m sure. At least, that’s what Scott tells me. And sometimes Omegas just want to nest.”

“What? Scott? You’re cuddling with Scott? What about Allison?” Another wave hit Stiles, but it didn’t feel as painful as the last. He tried to force himself to relax into the bed and against Isaac. He smelled kind of like Derek, and like the rest of the pack, but Scott and Allison were most prominent. Isaac himself had a tendency to smell like baked goods, and fruit, and parchment paper. Like a bakery. 

“It’s…complicated, I guess.” Stiles’ head rested on Isaac’s bicep, his arms still hugging the pillow to his chest, and soaking in the heat from Isaac’s free hand resting around his middle. 

“Try me…” Stiles felt his eyes begin to close, but not because he was sleepy. He felt safe. Although a small part of him still felt like he was betraying Derek somehow.  

Isaac started talking about the first time he shifted, and how he constantly felt the need to touch and be touched. On pack runs, afterwards, he always needed to be in the middle of the pile, needed to feel the pack’s heat around him. He learned later it was because, as an Omega, he had to rely on the rest of the pack and because of that, he was simultaneously the weakest member and the most cared for. Omegas find companionship in other Omegas, and occasionally Betas, until they are mated to a Beta or Alpha. Because Stiles was human, Isaac felt a close tie to him, but once it became apparent that Stiles and Derek had more than just a normal relationship, he couldn’t really rely on Stiles the way he wanted to. He added as a side-note that Isaac’s wolf might have picked up on Stiles’ inner wolf somehow, hence the natural bond. Stiles’ wolf just needed to get with the program. 

When Stiles paused to think about it though, it did explain why he felt so at ease with Isaac. He loved Scott to death, like a brother and as a best friend and could rely on him for everything, but with Isaac it was different. It made sense. 

So Isaac continued by saying that once Derek and Stiles seemed to turn into Sterek ( _“Seriously, Isaac? Sterek?”_ His only response was a half-assed shoulder shrug and justification that its easier than saying Derek AND Stiles), he turned to Allison since everyone else was a ‘mated set’. Stiles wanted to ask about Scott, but Isaac beat him to it. Allison was human, and a girl, and despite being a hunter, Isaac felt he could relate to her the most. Scott had just become an Alpha and didn’t see him as a threat considering their pack history, and gradually, the three of them grew together into a sort of unit. Derek was still Isaac’s Alpha, that wouldn’t change, but Isaac had a closer knit family comparable to a ‘mate’ situation until he found his own. 

“What about Danny?” It was all genuine curiosity on Stiles’ part, as he turned himself around to face Isaac. He already knew that the two of them fooled around, he just didn’t know if it went deeper. “No Dansac, Isanny, Mahey-“ 

Isaac snorted. “Danny’s cool and all, but my desire for him to be a wolf would be too much. According to lore, only Alphas can change humans to weres, even in your situation. If Derek had been a Beta, it wouldn’t have worked. So Derek would have to bite Danny, Danny would have to want it, and all parties would have to acknowledge the risks. And I couldn’t do that to someone. Besides,” he flicked Stiles’ nose. “I don’t like Danny THAT much. And especially not enough to name fuse so you can cut that out right now.”

Stiles rubbed his nose, but didn’t shift away. He had another burning question. And he was fully aware it could get awkward. “So…do you like… go into heat and stuff? Since you’re an Omega?” 

Isaac laughed. “Like what you’re going to experience? No.”

Stiles felt his shoulders slump despite his horizontal position. 

“I mean, I guess you could say it’s called a ‘heat’, but I can’t have babies, dude. That’s all you. I was a turned were, remember? My ‘disposition’ pegged me as an Omega. If I take out an Alpha in a fight, I could become an Alpha, but it’s not my nature. Neither are babies. I could take care of them, and maybe I’d feel a weird ‘materal/paternal’ pull, but I have no desire to do that.” 

This wasn’t entirely fair, in Stiles’ opinion. And probably the reason Isaac was so invested in all the stuff Gustav gave Stiles when he left for school after his revelation. Isaac never really had the guidance Stiles was getting.  

“So what’s your ‘not heat’ like?” 

Isaac shrugged. “Every four months I just feel really horny for about three or four days. Not WAY hornier, like fuck-or-die situation, but it does get a little invasive. And I run a little hotter. I can get out of class if it gets to be intolerable by claiming I have a fever. And I smell different, not really fertile per say the way the books describe it, just…horny. And it really only affects weres that let it affect them, ya know? Like they have to want it too.” 

Stiles narrowed his eyes.  

“I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’ve never tried to get into Derek’s pants, or visa versa. Or Scott’s. Although,” he chuckled. “He tried to get into mine once when he and Allison went through their mandatory bi-annual break-up before Derek got back. That would have ended a lot more…interesting if the thought of Derek walking in and catching us in his apartment hadn’t made us realize it was a bad idea. That, and Danny called, and then one thing led to another-“ 

“I don’t want to know about your Danny sexcapades. It was enough when he offered to take my V-card once. I couldn’t get the ‘leer’ out of my head for days.” His eyes widened. “He must be a machine in bed.” He saw Isaac’s mouth quirk up. “DON’T. SAY. ANYTHING. And stop thinking about it, dude. You’re in my house, in my bed, and I’m the one having the crisis right now. I don’t need to be smelling your arousal at Danny memories.” 

“Because you’re such a prude, right?” 

The Stilinski glare apparently doesn’t work on Isaac because he just kept talking.  

“Anyway, the point is, Omegas feel safest surrounded by pack, and being recognized as the ‘weakest’ doesn’t mean we can’t hold our own, like with the Jennifer incident, or the witches we’ve had to deal with in the past, and other feral wolves that have strayed into Hale territory. Omegas are only as weak as they allow themselves to be, but they innately need the pack just as the pack needs them. Now that you’re an Omega, even though you’re Derek’s mate, we’ll be even closer in a sense. Scott and Allison are mates for all intents and purposes, but I _fit_ with them, and they fit me. I don’t actively try to cuddle or nest with Scott unless Allison’s there, and despite the weird arousal thing that happened that one time, Scott and I have no interest in one another sexually. But, the potential risk is there. And if it ever did lead to anything more, Allison would have to be there, ya know? Otherwise, it would feel wrong despite the hormones saying its ok. For wolves, it’s about pack. But Allison’s human, and despite being pack, it’s harder to for her understand sometimes.”

Stiles let it all sink in. He definitely wished he had talked to Isaac at some point prior to this current juncture. This information would have been so much more helpful since it’s from a first hand source.  

“Don’t take it for gospel truth or anything. I haven’t met but one other Omega and she was mated so it wasn’t like we were in the same boat. I could be an odd-ball.” Isaac sounded like he was starting to drift to sleep. 

“You ARE an odd-ball,” Stiles felt supreme relaxation sinking into his bones. He didn’t know what time it was, but he couldn’t hear the television downstairs anymore, and he didn’t remember hearing Melissa and his dad go to sleep. “But you’re pack.” 

He heard a muffled grunt of something. Then Isaac started to get up. 

“Pants. I hate sleeping in jeans. And I want to get under the covers. And open the window more; your room smells like mountain ash.” 

Stiles was about to respond, but sleep started to actively pull him under. The bed shifted as Isaac pulled the sheets out from under Stiles, and then the act of trying to rearrange the both of them comfortably pushed sleep away for a few moments.  

He was just about to drop off again when he realized:

“Oh. My. God. Does that mean you, Allison, and Scott would have a threesome?" 

Isaac flushed bright red, and Stiles praised his wolf eyes. 

“Go to sleep, Stiles.” 

Then he remembered he had a heightened sense of smell too. And it would be better after the complete shift.

“For the record, if you all end up having sex, stay far away from me until I get used to the idea. You already smell like them, but I had to deal with Scott and Allison smelling like sex all. the. time. And I wasn’t even a wolf. I couldn’t go over to his house in his room without smelling something like Allison. So I might need a heads-“ 

“Stiles. If you don’t stop talking, I swear I’ll wait until you go back to school and then we’ll have sex in your bed out of spite.” 

The image alone that conjured in Stiles’ mind caused an epic silence he had no idea how to break. Isaac must have been feeling rather smug with himself, but the lull in speech caused sleep to overwhelm Stiles once again.  

\- - - - - 

If the burning sensations and needles were bad the night before, when Stiles woke up in the morning they were worse. His body felt like it was trying to rip itself apart from the inside.  

“I thought it was supposed to be relatively painless!!” Stiles’ body arched against what felt like a shock to his system. “IT FUCKING HURTS!” 

When the tremors stopped, he opened his eyes and saw Isaac and his dad in the doorway. Stiles’ hands had half morphed into claws and dug into his mattress.  

“Stiles. Breathe. And try to relax.” Isaac’s shirt had been ripped across the abdomen. “Focus on something that will calm you down, ok?” 

“I’m calling Derek.” His dad was already on the phone and moving out into the hall. 

“Did I-? Shit, Isaac, I’m- Are you ok?” Stiles pulled himself upright and noticed his own shirt had been almost completely shredded off his frame save for some surviving pieces.

Isaac nodded, waving it off as nothing. “It was just a small scratch, already healed. Not a big deal. And look,” he gestured at Stiles’ hands that were now human hands. “You’re good. Just, keep focusing on relaxing, ok? I know you were told that it wasn’t supposed to be painful, but sometimes books get it wrong yea? Did you have a nightmare?”

Stiles looked at the open window and he could already smell Derek. Everything smelled sharper and grittier all at the same time. He looked back at Isaac and tried to think. “I dunno, I just remember feeling like I was on fire, and then yelling.” He breathed deep.

“STILES!” Derek burst into the room looking half crazy and out of breath. He took one look at Isaac and then the state of Stiles’ bed. “We have to go to Deaton’s. I called him on the way over. Gustav is still here so he can lend some insight into this. Come on.”  

No sooner did Derek grasp Stiles’ arm that Stiles felt an unnatural burst of rage. “Let go! I’m not a fucking invalid!” 

His voice came out as more of a roar than a shout. This was not good. He didn’t let his eyes drop from Derek’s, seeing them shift red to match his own burning amber ones. He could feel the Alpha charge starting to change the atmosphere of the room. Derek looked like he was trying really hard not to Alpha out on Stiles, and that snapped him out of it.  

“Shit, shit, sorry. I just- I can’t- Fuck, it’s not supposed to be like this.” He dropped back down onto his bed, his hands cradling his head. “This isn’t supposed to happen this way!” 

The hands on his back he identified as Isaac’s. “Let’s go to Deaton’s. I told your dad and he’s already in the cruiser and Melissa is calling Scott.” He removed the remaining bits of shirt still clinging to Stiles and slipped a hoodie over his head, waiting for Stiles to finish putting it on before nudging him up. “Come on.”  

Stiles looked back up at Derek and saw how helpless he felt. How they both felt really. He reached out, swallowing the apprehension, and slowly wrapped his arms around Derek.  

“I’m sorry, I’m not mad, but I can’t-“ 

Derek returned the embrace, and Stiles felt the adoration and concern and love poring out of him. And fear. Both of them were terrified. And that made Stiles cling even tighter. “I know… Let’s just go to Deaton’s and get some answers. Ride with your dad in the cruiser with Isaac. He seems to calm you down so…” 

“Derek, I love you. You’re my mate. You’re first, ok? But Isaac is an Omega, like I’m about to be. It’s a…solidarity thing, for lack of a better word. He can explain it to you later.” 

Derek nodded stiffly, and then looked at Isaac. “I’ll be right behind you in the Camaro.” 

\- - - - -  

Despite all the research Gustav and Deaton had done, Gustav neglected to mention that none of the other humans turned weres by the ‘power of love’ (it sounded cheesier every time Stiles’ said it in his head so he started calling it the ‘higher power’) had the Spark that Stiles had been gifted with. 

“Great! So you’re saying it’s like having an allergic reaction?”

Gustav sighed. “It’s… Well…” He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Yes. Like an allergic reaction. All of the symptoms you’re having were documented in the other cases, but yours are extreme. There is no doubt that your Spark has something to do with it.” 

A sick thought nestled in the back of Stiles’ mind reared its ugly head again and began to work its way to the forefront.  

“Stiles, don’t.” Derek’s voice cut through the black voice in his own mind. “Stop.” A hand came to rest on his waist, and another under his jaw. “It’s not true, so stop thinking it.” 

The rage was back. Stiles was increasingly grateful Deaton sent his dad back home and told the rest of the pack to wait at Derek’s loft with the exception of Isaac and Derek. Except now he was kind of wishing Derek was gone too. Stiles was an awful person.  

“No! Because what if this was just a huge fucking cosmic mistake?! HUH?! EVER THINK OF THAT?! A COSMIC FUCKING JOKE!” He jerked away and turned on the others. “What if you’re completely fucking wrong and I’m going to be something else?!” He tried to suck air into his heaving lungs. Fuck this felt worse than a panic attack. The boiling under his skin and in his organs only made it worse. 

Isaac stepped forward, arms out, non-threatening. Derek stepped back, trying to let Isaac relax Stiles. He felt the hurt and responding anger well up in Derek, and for an instant felt awful. But only for an instant. 

“Stiles, you smell like a were. You smell like pack. You smell like Derek. You’re one of us, Stiles. You’re not going to be something else. This is just-“ 

“JUST WHAT?! NORMAL?! FUCK NORMAL!” He lashed out, sending a small table of medical instruments flying. Each piece hitting the ceramic floor grated on Stiles’ nerves, heightened hearing be damned, it only made him angrier. In his anger, he didn’t notice Deaton off to the side pulling open drawers.  

“Nothing about my LIFE has been normal since Scott turned! And now THIS?! Because I don’t have enough to fucking think about?!” 

“Stiles, please…” Gustav circled around to stand next to Isaac, drawing his attention in that direction and away from Deaton. “You mentioned earlier you were trying to find an anchor. Try to find it-“ 

Stiles roared, feeling his face shift and his claws extend. _Who did the warlock think he was? He’s already been wrong once. What else is he wrong about? What if an anchor doesn’t work for him the way it works for the others?_ “I’ll give you an anchor!” 

“STILES!” Derek roared back, eyes red, staring Stiles down.  

A small part of Stiles felt the need to submit. He saw Isaac flinch at Derek’s outburst more than at Stiles’, and instinctively moved out of the way. Stiles had seen Derek angry, seen the rage in his face, but never had it been directed at him like this. Despite the Omega part of him that needed to submit to his Alpha, the human part of him that remained intact didn’t. It sensed this newly discovered strength and wanted to test it. It wanted a fight. It _craved_ a fight.

Another feral roar ripped itself from Stiles’ chest and he felt his body lunge towards Derek.  

Derek caught him, sending his body crashing down on the metal exam table in the middle of the floor. He snarled, digging his claws into Stiles’ shoulder, pressuring him into submission. Instead, Stiles swung out with his left arm, slashing at Derek’s middle and drawing blood. 

The rational part of Stiles’ mind remembered an encounter with a feral Beta a few years ago, how the smell of blood sent him into a sort of blood frenzy. That’s how they took him down, used his weakness against him.  

The irrational part of Stiles’ mind wanted more. He slashed out again, but Derek caught his arm and wrestled it down, snarling even more ferociously. Stiles felt saliva drip down onto his face. He wanted to submit. And he probably would have if a sharp sting hadn’t pulled his attention from Derek’s face down to his leg. Derek swung around, not letting go of Stiles completely, but Stiles saw his face shift back to normal. He looked back down at Stiles, his features fuzzy around the edges, an apologetic look on his face.  

“I’m sorry.” 

Then the rushing in Stiles’ head was silent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I. Am. So. Sorry. For disappearing for as long as I did. *blah blah vampire emergency blah* But now that it's over, I can go back to semi regular updates until Nov rolls around. I have also hit a sort of writer's block with this story. Other small things are being written to kick-start the brain a little, but I'm not sure if that will be posted or not as a sort of 'appeasement' strategy.
> 
> Tumblr is paper-hearts-in-bedlam if you want to request something.


	11. In Which Derek Is The Center

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Entirely from Derek's POV and what is going through his mind as this situation unfolds. Sheriff Stilinski lays it out for Derek. And Peter clears things up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting patiently while I worked on this update! Unbeta'd save for what I reviewed prior to posting. 
> 
> "Warnings": More mentions of possible future mpreg!Stiles, FEELS coming from all directions, and mentions of a character who shall soon make her presence known more acutely.

_“No one said it would be easy. The fact you keep thinking that way only proves your naiveté about the situation.”_  

_He remained silent, waiting for the voice to finish speaking._  

_“The fact any of this is working out the way it is, that should be proof enough this was meant to happen. I know a part of you feels as though you don’t deserve anything remotely close to happiness, and you have to stop thinking that way. It’s obvious to me, and being far removed from the entire situation as I am, that should mean something to you. So stop wallowing, and be there for him the way you are meant to be.”_  

_He opened his mouth to speak, but there weren’t any words he could formulate. He only wished his mother were here to help him along._  

_“I know you miss her, I do too. More than I let on most days, but a part of her is still here, in us. And I know she would want you to keep going, no matter how fucking hard it is, and how miserable it feels right now. The only way to go is up.”_  

_A quiet chuckle echoed over the phone. “And the only direction for you is the one I’ve been mentioning every time we talk.”_  

_“I know. I will. Just not yet.”_  

_“You’d like him, even love him, once you got used to his … quirks.”_  

_A sharp burst of laughter startled him a little, but it was a good sound to hear. Especially from her. “I’m still getting used to yours, Der.”_  

_“I’m trying, and he makes me want to try harder.”_  

_A door closed in the background, and voices started to steadily rise. “I know you are.”_  

_The silence between them stretched for a moment longer before she spoke again. “I have to get back to work. New project, I’ll tell you about it later.”_  

_“Looking forward to it. I have a few of my own, but you’ll have to come out and see for yourself.”_  

_An agitated huff. “Of course. I’ll talk to you soon. Love you, Der.”_  

_“Love you too, Cor.”_  

\- - - - -  

Derek leaned against the cool stone wall in the very back of Deaton’s office, listening to Stiles’ heartbeat, his breathing, the fidgety sounds he made even in deep sleep. No one had seen this reaction coming. Stiles’ Spark had always been considered something mysterious and worthy, something to inspire awe and be used for protection. Stiles never used it for anything other than good, and now it was causing his body to war with what was happening to it.  

And Derek: he was afraid. For the first time since the fire that consumed his family, he was desperately afraid. He had managed to keep everyone alive when the Darach tried to kill them, even when it looked like Boyd wasn’t going to make it. Erica nearly got herself killed when she witnessed the attack on Boyd and saw the blood flowing from his body. The Darach’s magic kept him from healing right away, and Erica ended up throwing herself straight at it without so much as a second look at Derek. Her attack caused enough of a distraction and gave Scott and Derek a chance to launch a second attack while Isaac and Stiles dragged Boyd away. When the Darach was sufficiently incapacitated, it shifted back to into Jennifer, pleading to Derek for help. He ignored her, and sent Isaac, Scott, and Stiles to the Nematon with Jennifer in tow to rescue the Sheriff and Melissa. It wasn’t until everyone gathered at his loft later that he sensed the change in Scott, sensed his becoming a true Alpha. Derek hadn’t felt threatened in the least, and he and Scott reached a mutual agreement despite Peter’s protests. He seemed to think Scott was lulling Derek into a false sense of security, but Derek refused to let his uncle guide his actions. Peter had been largely unaccounted for during the entire debacle, showing up at the last minute claiming he had done some ‘research’ and knew how to kill the Darach. Scott had already done that however, and Derek knew Peter was less than thrilled with how it turned out for Scott.  

The Argents were more wary for the following weeks after Scott’s ascension, trying to prevent Allison from seeing him and spending more time patrolling Beacon Hills. Chris called a few hunter friends of his to hang around for a few days, the Winchester brothers. Derek knew _of them_ , but never met them personally. Allison had been rather taken with the youngest one, Sam, but in the end it was the stories that drew Allison’s attention more than their actual presence. Derek had nothing against the brothers, but he got tired of the general mistrust and called a meeting. Chris Argent had proved helped during the Darach’s attack as had Allison, although they did not venture into the Nematon territory as they viewed it a ‘werewolf issue.’ Derek hadn’t blamed them and took their inaction in the end as a sign of their trust in him to get the job done. Deaton acted as the neutral negotiator and soon a truce was in place. Any werewolf threat that crossed into Beacon Hills would be Derek’s priority. The Argent’s assistance would always be welcome, but Derek would be the one calling the shots. Scott may be a new Alpha, but he pledged to Derek’s pack and served as his second. While no one became great friends, relationships were no longer as tense as they had been in the past. Derek, Lydia, and Jackson took it upon themselves to share information with the Winchesters about different types of creatures and another bond was formed. Lydia found Sam intellectually appealing, and Peter annoyed everyone by hitting on the older one, Dean, almost incessantly.   

It wasn’t until the truce had been forged and the Winchesters went back to life on the road that Deucalion appeared once again. Only Peter knew of his visit to Beacon Hills, and it was shortly thereafter that Peter gave Derek his ultimatum. Thinking back on the situation, Peter had probably been the one who contacted Deucalion in an effort to convince Derek to join Deucalion’s pack, or take a mate, or offer up Scott given his new status. Derek explained the situation, and Scott’s position in his pack and his ties to the Argents along with his own ties to Stiles and his pack. The visit had not been unpleasant, looking back at the events it caused to unfold, Derek could have been stronger and resisted Peter’s words.  

Derek let himself slide down the wall and rested his elbows on his knees, focusing on the small cracks at the base of the wall creeping their way up the wall.  

\- - - - -  

_“DEREK! You’re out of shampoo again!”_  

_Derek huffed, dropping his book onto his chest. “Because you keep using it all!”_  

_“Not my fault it smells so good!”_  

_Derek smiled despite his annoyance, which wasn’t really annoyance as much as it was fondness. He liked that Stiles liked to smell like him, liked that Stiles wanted to be at the loft, liked that Stiles helped create the living space that made it theirs._  

_“Seriously though, do you have back up?! You came ALL OVER ME and I really would like to wash my hair before I go home!”_  

_He knew he had a spare bottle somewhere, but his memory flashed to the sex they had just had and maybe his dick got interested again. He glanced at the small clock on the nightstand and saw that they had about 45 minutes before Stiles had to be back home._  

_“Thank yo- Woah, sourwolf. Do we have time for this?” Stiles moved aside and made room for his boyfriend. Derek heard Stiles about to protest his intrusion but those sounds were drowned out with a long moan as the scent of arousal filled the air as his hands weaved into Stiles’ hair and began massaging the shampoo into a rich lather._  

_“Oh, we have time…” he said, letting one hand drop down to Stiles’ abdomen, teasing the soft trail of hair just below his belly button. “I love you, Stiles…”_  

_Stiles turned his head at the same time one arm came up and awkwardly wrapped around Derek’s neck, a smile playing across his lips before pressing their mouths together. “Love you too, Der.”_  

\- - - - -  

It was a few weeks later that Peter’s words weaved their poison into Derek’s mind and he took off. Derek doubted he would ever be able to forgive himself, no matter what Stiles said. 

\- - - - -  

Stiles was still asleep when Derek got up and went to the loft. Deaton said he and Gustav had the situation under control, and Isaac would hang around for a few more hours before taking off. Derek phoned the Sheriff and found that he was already at the loft with everyone else, save for Scott and Allison who took Melissa to the hospital for her shift and would be back shortly after picking up food for everyone. Chris Argent was there too, though mostly to make sure everyone was okay. He had been made aware of the situation and was rather skeptical until he spoke to Deaton and Gustav. Everyone else was nervous, on edge. Jackson seemed to think Stiles wasn’t actually turning into a werewolf, and despite how much he talked about how much he disliked Stiles, the guy was more worried than he was letting on. Derek didn’t blame him given his own issues once he got the bite. Derek blamed himself for that, but Jackson got it under control with Lydia’s help and everything turned out for the best in the end. No one blamed Derek anymore, and Derek was working on learning how to not blame himself as much as he had been in the past.  

Lydia was under the impression Stiles was going to be some rare variation of hybrid werewolf, although Derek couldn’t really wrap his mind around how THAT particularity worked since a werewolf technically WAS a hybrid of human and wolf. Lydia had all sorts of charts and diagrams that explained it, but no one could figure it out. She simply rolled her eyes and said she would explain when the time came.  

Erica and Scott were both excited about Stiles’ turning, and naturally Stiles’ dad was more worried than Derek and Jackson and everyone else combined. Even Boyd was acting a little more on edge, probably for the same reason Jackson was. The only one who seemed to be keeping it together was Isaac. Derek wanted to ask, he wanted to know what he and Stiles talked about, wanted to understand the Omega dynamic they seemed to share, but it didn’t feel right to talk about Stiles like that. Not now. Besides, he had something to share with the pack regarding Stiles. Something Gustav told him about that described what was happening with Stiles. He needed everyone to understand, humans included.  

Even Peter showed up at the last second. Derek still didn’t know what Peter had been up to, and why he consistently disappeared and reappeared. He needed to get his nonsense sorted out, but Stiles took precedence.  

“So what’s going on, Derek?” Boyd sat on the edge of the sofa, leaning forward expectantly. Scott stood off to the side while everyone else formed a semi-circle in the living room. He could feel the nervous tension thrumming through everyone. The food was only half eaten, if that, and Derek praised Scott in silence for stepping in to take care of everyone. Derek knew he wasn’t the world’s best Alpha, but he was trying. Having Scott be his second made him realize that he alone didn’t have to shoulder the burden right now, and hopefully he wouldn’t have to again. Peter shifted against the back wall, not really part of the group but not excluding himself either. 

“I spoke to Deaton and Gustav before I left, about Stiles, about what’s happening. Isaac was there so he already knows.” He scanned the room and caught everyone’s eye. “Gustav seems to think that the reason Stiles is having the …. reaction he’s having is because of his Spark, which makes sense considering it’s a part of him.” He cast a glance at Lydia and Jackson before addressing the group. “Neither Lydia or Jackson has the spark that Stiles has, but they do have something that makes them different and ultimately made them different when they received the bite. Humans that contain some sort of magic are a capable of harnessing that magic whether they are aware of it or not. Stiles’ magic is much larger than usual considering he is an Emissary, and is more than likely the reason why this ‘bond’ he and I have caused his condition. Humans that do not have any sort of magic within them die when they receive the bite, and before anyone asks, the magic cannot be artificially reproduced.” 

Peter chuckled. “Interesting ‘condition’. Who knew my nephew could harness the power of love?” 

Derek glared at Peter, desperately wanting to lash out but reining in his temper when he felt his eyes flash. Peter had the sense to back down and slide a little further away, but he smirked as he did it.  

Lydia rolled her eyes. “Please continue, Derek. Although I think I know where you’re going with this.” 

He cocked an eyebrow at her, but continued as the realization dawned on him that THIS was the ‘rare variation’ theory she had mentioned before. “Stiles is a powerful individual, and his Spark wants to keep him powerful. If he were a normal human like Erica, Boyd, or Isaac, his body would accept the bite and he would be a normal Omega, or even a Beta. But because fate has determined us to be mates, his Spark needs to be accepted as equal.” He described the ‘fight’ that occurred at Deaton’s, and why Stiles was currently there and sedated.  

Chris stepped forward. “So you’re saying that this is a dominance thing?” 

“In a sense, yes.” 

Everyone looked confused.  

“So, does it mean that Stiles will try to fight you for Alpha? He does know that Scott is an Alpha too, right?” John asked warily and slightly defensively. Derek can’t say that he blamed him for acting that way. This was his son they were talking about.  

Derek shook his head, but before he could respond, Lydia spoke up.  

“What it means is that we, as a pack, have to accept Stiles as Derek’s mate AND his equal. Scott is an Alpha, yes, but he and Derek are not considered equals within pack confines. If Scott were to leave and form his own pack, then they would be considered equals since each would be exerting authority over their own pack. What Derek is saying is that Stiles might be an Omega physically, but being Derek’s mate makes him Derek’s _equal._ ” 

Realization dawned on Erica’s face, and everyone else’s in turn. Chris, John, and Allison still looked confused as the gears turned in their minds.  

“He’s talking about a claiming ceremony of sorts. Once Stiles turns full wolf, and he will based off what I’ve read from these cases-“ Everyone’s head whipped around to stare at Peter, who looked peevish. “Yes I caught up when no one was looking, can we move on?” 

Derek spoke first. “You and I are going to have a serious talk later.” 

Peter didn’t verbally respond but his lip twitched almost imperceptibly so Derek knew he got the message. “As I was saying, based off of what I’ve read, a sort of face-off will occur between Derek and Stiles in which the pack has to accept Stiles as Derek’s mate while simultaneously recognizing Derek’s submission to Stiles as his equal. Stiles is not challenging Derek’s position as Alpha of the pack, but in Derek’s submission and Stiles’ acceptance, it means that should Derek ever be incapacitated, Stiles will be the acting Alpha and Scott will be his second, so long as Scott remains as part of Derek’s pack and accepts Derek as his Alpha.” Here, he turned and looked at Scott in a way that caused uneasiness to settle over everyone in the room. “Should a wolf NOT accept Stiles, or Derek, during the claiming ceremony, it would be the perfect time to…. shall we say ‘dispatch’ the reigning Alpha and take control for himself.” He shifted his attention to Derek again, taking in his nephew’s features. “That’s why this is such a serious ‘condition’, as you so poetically put it.”  

Jackson spoke up next. “Wait, so why is this information coming out now? Hasn’t this happened before?” 

“It has,” Derek responded. “But not with turned individuals like Stiles since with the documented cases, none of the humans turned had Stiles’ level of magic. A claiming ceremony wasn’t necessary, and mating ceremonies sufficed to welcome the new mate into the pack.” 

“So if Stiles had been bitten, chances are he would be an Alpha. Is that what you’re saying?” Chris asked.  

Derek rubbed his eyes. They had a handful of hours before sunset, and a few more on top of that before the moon rose. He was exhausted, he felt sick, and he found himself wishing his family were here. Family that wasn’t Peter, who nonchalantly made his way into the kitchen and began brewing coffee.  

Lydia stepped in again, and part of Derek wanted to fall at her feet and praise her observance, and intelligence. It was now painfully obvious to Derek that Lydia had already thought of this scenario, quite possibly the moment Stiles was determined to be turning, and she was just waiting for everyone to catch up. “Alphas don’t turn Alphas, its a hereditary position: one taken, like Derek’s when he killed Peter-“ 

Everyone heard the bark of laughter, and ignored it.  

“-One earned, like Scott when he killed Jennifer and brought his true self to surface, or passed on, like if Derek named a successor and passed his powers onto them. The last type is rarely documented as such since it’s written off as falling under the ‘taken’ situation. With Stiles, it would have probably been a Scott situation, where he would have Alpha potential within him, but a task or set of tasks would have to be completed in order to him to reach that status. On that note, Alpha mates are rare, but possible. Same sex Alpha pairings are rarer still since only heterosexual couples can conceive children in Alpha mate relationships, and even then the chances are relatively slim. There’s a reason the hierarchy is the way it is. Alphas are not as common as Omegas, and Betas are the most prevalent of them both.” 

The lingering confusion that weighed on everyone finally lifted, and Derek felt like collapsing. He just wanted everyone to understand so he could go back to Deaton’s and relieve Isaac. And try to get some sleep listening to Stiles’ heartbeat before the moon rose. Stiles also had to wake up prior to all of that so that everything could be explained to him, though he had no doubt Deaton and Isaac would explain it to him before Derek got there. He didn’t know how Stiles would react to Derek’s presence after he woke up.   

“Stiles is an Omega because Omegas bear the children. It’s nature’s way of continuing the Hale bloodline. Alphas and Omegas have the greatest chance of conceiving children, and greater still are the chances the children will be werewolves, especially if both parents are full-wolf shifters.” 

The silence that fell over everyone was deafening.  

“This… is not what I imagined when Stiles told me you and him were together, or that he would be turning into a werewolf.” John swayed on his feet and the pack was on their feet in an instant helping him down to the couch. “At least this means I get biological grandchildren now, so that’s a plus.” 

Chris and Allison looked like their brains were leaking. “This is unbelievable.” 

Erica rounded on Derek with the biggest smile he had ever seen. “OH. MY. GOD. You and Stiles are going to have the MOST ADORABLE BABIES EVER!!! I want to babysit!!!” She turned to Boyd, who’s jaw looked like it was ready to fall off his face.  

“No.” 

Derek scrubbed a hand down his face and left everyone to their own devices. Of course Erica would latch onto ‘Stiles and Derek can make babies’, but it wasn’t unpleasant. Lydia was already hammering out the details for the claiming ceremony, humans not allowed to be present although an exception could potentially be made for Allison if Scott wanted her there. He tuned out everything, receiving a nod from John establishing that he was in good hands, before retreating to the kitchen to find Peter sitting at the table with two cups of coffee and a newspaper.  

“Before you speak, let me,” he said, gesturing to the chair opposite him with the coffee placeholder. Derek sat and took a long swallow of the hot coffee. He might dislike Peter on most days but his uncle did make a fantastic cup of coffee.  

“I stuck around for a good long while before I took off as well. I made a few calls and met with a few packs - don’t look at me like that - and made attempts to hash out a sort of ‘mate alliance’ for you. I like Scott, I do, but he’s not exactly ready to be in charge of a pack. I figured if I could find you a mate from a good pack, good stock, you could move on.” 

“You never told me about Deucalion.” 

“I’m getting there. Don’t interrupt.” He sipped his coffee and turned the page. “Deucalion is a very perceptive character. And I won’t lie, I want to be Alpha again, but I’m not exactly willing to kill anyone to get it. There’s only one of me, and the general consensus most everywhere is that I’m not the most trustworthy fellow.” 

Derek scoffed, but didn’t say anything.  

“I came back and caught wind of the situation, did some research of my own, and I must say, nephew, I’m fantastically impressed. Have you told-?” 

“Yes, she is aware of the situation. She’s got a good life, and she’s can’t exactly uproot herself again. Not yet anyway.” Derek let some tension ease out of his body. He tuned in to the conversations in the living room and was pleased that no one was actively eavesdropping. “I went and spent some time with her during the time I was…away, and she helped me bring some things into focus.” 

Peter nodded. Derek met his uncle’s eyes and for the first time in a long time felt like they were an actual family instead of two people who shared the misfortune of sharing the same blood.  

“I support you and Stiles in this, I do. I’m not technically a part of this pack so I don’t expect to play a role in the ceremony, and to be honest I’m not entirely sure that I want to. Your decisions are your own, Derek, and I respect that although I may not always like it.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice in an effort to prevent potential eavesdroppers from hearing him. “I will say this however: Deucalion will be curious, moreso than he already is. I have no doubt he is doing research of his own, and may make a surprise visit to Beacon Hills. Los Angeles is Deucalion’s territory, and while I am not petitioning for Stiles to up and move, it would be beneficial to develop some sort of truce with his pack. I know he will respect Stiles’ status within your pack, but you know how _other_ members of his pack are when it comes to turned wolves as opposed to born ones.” 

Derek’s jaw tightened. He knew very well the dispositions of some members of Deucalion’s pack. He had downplayed how dangerous one particular member could be to Stiles, telling him not all were like Ethan and Aiden in their acceptance of turned weres and humans, but most were more than willing to make an effort, especially when it came to mates.  

“I know. It’s a conversation that needs to be had. I will give Deucalion the heads up, but I want the pack together on this. I feel like everyone is going to need to be present for the formal negotiations, so bonds have to be strong. If I know Deucalion’s second like I think I do, she is going to try and exploit everything she can.” 

\- - - - -  

By the time Derek made his way back into the living room, everyone had fallen into their normal ‘hanging out at Derek’s’ routine. John was still laying on the couch, now asleep, and Chris was making his way out. They exchanged a few words and determined Allison would not be present for the ceremony; she was technically pack but she wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of a claiming ceremony. At the door, Chris leaned in close and mentioned that despite the position Allison held with Scott (he had yet to accept Isaac’s place in all of it) he sensed part of her was jealous that she hadn’t turned as Stiles had. Derek shook his head and said that she shouldn’t worry or be jealous. She was an incredibly valuable asset to the pack, as a hunter, as Scott’s girlfriend, and as the anchor she played in Isaac’s life. Having a human in the pack balanced out the dynamic, and although it was easier when Stiles was human too, Derek didn’t sense any tension among anyone when it came to Allison. The pack definitely accepted her as one of their own, wolf or not.  

Chris’ body visibly relaxed, probably at the unspoken promise that Allison would not be turned, not against her will or as some crazy coincidence. Derek sensed he wanted to press the Isaac relationship, but it was neither the time nor the place. That was a discussion Scott, Allison, and Isaac needed to have with Chris, preferably not in Derek’s loft. His mind flashed to when he came back to Beacon Hills and the SMELL in his apartment was almost enough to make him gag, not just because of the overwhelming Scott/Allison scent mixed with Isaac’s, but the lack of _Stiles_ hurt more than he cared to admit.  

As Derek closed the door, he stood and listened to everyone talking and keeping their spirits up. There was an underlying nervous tension, but it was not as bad as it had been before. He himself was slightly nervous about the claiming ceremony, but having felt the pack come together as they had in the past few hours, feeling the energy coursing through all of them in anticipation of Stiles’ upcoming shift and formal acceptance into his pack ( _their pack,_ he thought as his heart felt like it skipped a beat, it would be _their pack_ ) he knew he had nothing to worry about.  

He vaguely wondered if this anxiety he felt was like what parents felt like in the final days of pregnancy, waiting to accept a new life into their family, one that they created through their love. Derek leaned back against the wall, feeling his heart leap into his throat forming a lump he couldn’t quite make go away. Never before had he felt this: such abounding love for someone that wasn’t his own blood, and the anticipation of Stiles being able to have children with him, being able to bear his, _their_ , children… It was too much to take in. 

So the dam finally broke. 

Tears began to fall freely down his cheeks and he felt himself slide down the wall once again. He wished his mother were here, Laura, his entire family. He wanted to tell them how amazing Stiles was, how he made Derek a better person even when Derek felt like the most awful human being on the planet, how everyone accepted Stiles and almost _knew_ how much he would mean to Derek even before Derek did, how if Stiles was no longer in Derek’s life his entire world would fall apart. He knew the others could hear him, but it was Lydia who came to him, followed closely by Erica and John. 

He couldn’t articulate how he was feeling, but one look at John’s face told him he knew exactly how Derek felt in this exact moment: like everything suddenly made sense in the fact that _Stiles made up his whole world_ and he always had. He felt more tears fall down his face when he realized just how deeply it must have hurt when Stiles’ mom died. If anything ever happened to Stiles -  

“There is no doubt in my mind, Derek, that you are going to be the best man in the world you can be for my son. So whatever ‘thoughts’ you have going through your head right now countering that fact, I want them gone, understood? You might be Alpha to this pack, but you are now my son-in-law, official papers be damned.” Derek could see the wetness welling up in the Sheriff’s eyes despite the blurry vision he had from his own tears. Lydia and Erica shifted at his sides and formed a warm cocoon around him. “So when this is all said and done, the three of us are going to sit down and talk before Stiles heads back to school.” 

Derek could only nod at his words, not trusting his voice to work properly just yet.  

John shifted his eyes to both Lydia and Erica. “And for the record, just because this means Stiles can have babies, which is something I still can’t quite wrap my head around and honestly might not be able to until it actually happens, it DOES NOT mean that babies will happen until AFTER Derek and Stiles have careers and are established, independent, MARRIED, members of society. So while I am not stopping you from LOOKING at baby things, I want no pressure on either Derek or Stiles to start….producing….one. Is that clear?” 

Derek felt both girls nod furiously at his sides, and heard the outbreak of hysterical laughter from the other room, followed almost immediately by Boyd and Jackson articulating their desire for the Sheriff to tell their girlfriends that neither of them were ready for kids, so no pressure directed at them either. 

They were all laughing so hard by the end of it, Isaac’s call to Derek was almost missed. Stiles was waking up, and he was asking for his dad, and for Derek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it got kind of… emotional at the end, but I felt the need to do it. I have my reasons: writing in Stiles' POV is easier for me at times, but I really felt like a Derek POV chapter was needed since this affects him just as much as it affects Stiles. I made a HUGE effort to keep the continuity straight - especially since its canon divergent with the Alpha Pack and the Darach. If something is unclear or sounds off, shoot me a message/email (red_marionette25@aol.com) with questions, and if necessary I will re-edit.
> 
> Again, thank you to everyone who had read/commented/left kudos/other feedback. I'm having lots of fun writing this, and although life can be a 'betch' sometimes, I will definitely keep writing until this is done. You are all wonderful :)


	12. In Which The Ceremony Takes Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles talks to his dad after the 'situation' and gets filled in on what is going to happen. Gustav presents him with an opportunity, but Stiles needs some time to think about the proposition. He also talks to Derek prior to heading out to the Hale house and manages to keep his wolf under control, but not without a small hiccup. He gets a little something from Deaton, but he's not quite comfortable mentioning it yet for…reasons.   
> Oh yea, and the claiming ceremony happens. That's fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY!!! I'm ecstatic I got this done prior to Thanksgiving :D It's unbeta'd save for what revision I have done prior to posting. No real warnings for this chapter save for some aggression and possessive behavior from both Derek and Stiles, and maybe a little from Isaac because he doesn't want Stiles to get hurt.

Stiles fidgeted as he waited for his dad and Derek to arrive at Deaton’s. Isaac and Gustav explained what happened: his human wanted equality and was at odds with the Omega inside him that wanted to submit to his Alpha. He got the quick rundown of the claiming ceremony. Isaac told Stiles he shouldn’t worry- the pack already accepted Stiles as Derek’s mate. All that remained was for Derek to accept that fact, and be made aware that in submitting to Stiles, his position as pack Alpha wouldn’t be at risk. Sitting on the saggy couch, the only thing Stiles felt was anxiety. He tried numerous times to apologize for having lost it earlier, but they weren’t having it. Stiles couldn’t be held responsible at this particular juncture, and the only thing that would put every piece in its place was the first shift and the ceremony.  

After Isaac stepped out to call the Sheriff, Gustav sat down across from Stiles.  

“How are you feeling?” The warlock looked his 200 years, definitely how Stiles felt right now. His scrubbed his hand over his hair and down his face, leaning back heavily. 

“Like I’ve aged exponentially.” He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. If he really tried, he could count all the little holes in the tiles as his ears catalogued every sound in the room and outside. Isaac was still on the phone, but he didn’t want to eavesdrop. That habit was too easy to start and he didn’t want to enable himself, better if he just started training himself not to listen in on his friends’ conversations. “I wasn’t expecting all of this. Maybe some awkward moments like when Scott first changed, but this is more than I think I’m prepared to handle. It’s…overwhelming.” 

Gustav leaned forward and rested his hand on Stiles’ knee, bringing his attention back down. “For someone having thrust this upon them, considering your abilities, it is all rather overwhelming. I agree with you there. But you are also very resilient, Stiles, and that means a lot.” He let go off Stiles’ knee and slid back into his seat. “Deaton told me about your Spark, and how you’re working on cultivating your skills. I think it’s more than a simple Spark, Stiles.” 

The room went very still, and Stiles felt the hair on the back of his neck and on his arms start to rise up. He met Gustav’s eyes met for a moment, and a sensation that felt like a warm trickle of water begin to flow out of his fingertips, reaching out. Their eyes remained locked and their bodies motionless. Stiles felt like he was reaching out for something and he was almost there before Isaac stepped back into the room and broke the moment.  

“Your dad and Derek are on their way. You need anything?” If he sensed something odd in the room, he didn’t let on.  

Stiles shook his head and moved to stand, stretching his muscles. Whatever that sensation was, it was gone. Gustav stood and flexed his hands.  

“What was that?” Stiles asked once Isaac disappeared.  

“Magic, mine reaching out to yours. I could help you develop yours, should you choose. You have more potential within you than just the skills of an Emissary. But only if you are interested. You already have a lot on your plate.” 

Stiles thought about it, what it would mean to have a werewolf warlock in the pack.  

“I’ll have to think about it.” 

Gustav smiled warmly. “Of course. In the meantime, I have a request.” 

Stiles already knew what the request was, he had been waiting for it and already had a response.  

“Yes, you have my consent to keep a record of this. I’m sure Derek and my dad would agree as well. These situations are already rare enough as it is, and if it ever happens again, I’d want the next person to be aware of all potential risks that come with it.” 

“Thank you, Stiles. And don’t worry. Your identity shall be kept confidential. And now,” he gestured towards the door. “I believe your father has arrived.” 

_Showtime._  

\- - - - -  

Stiles talked to his dad, aware of Derek’s pacing outside. He could tell Derek was trying to keep his anxiety level down, so he forced himself to calm down as he talked to his dad and tried to send waves of tranquility his way. It must have worked a least a little because the footfalls slowed along with Derek’s heartrate. Stiles smiled softly to himself, paying attention to his dad’s words as he recounted what happened at the loft. Stiles was grateful his dad was already made aware of everything along with everyone else, so there wasn’t a need for anyone to play catch-up.   

“So Lydia and Erica are way more excited than they should be about your newfound ability to have children. Which I’m still not quite ready to accept yet for obvious reasons.” 

Stiles laughed at that. “Don’t worry, dad. No babies in the foreseeable future at this point in time.” He pulled his dad into a long embrace. “You ok with everything?” 

John sighed, holding Stiles even tighter. “It’s going to take a little getting used to, but you’re still my son.” He let go of Stiles and nodded towards the door. “I’m going to head out and let you do your thing. The humans are taking the night off, Chris invited Melissa and I over for dinner. Apparently the Winchesters are back in town, whoever they are.” 

That elicited a burst of laughter from Stiles. He remembered Lydia fawning over Sam’s brain, and Peter being a creeper over Dean. He had to admit, Dean was ridiculously hot, especially in that leather jacket. After the Winchesters left, Stiles had spent almost a week convincing Derek that it wasn’t _Dean_ he was attracted to, it was the jacket. Derek brooded almost constantly until Stiles all but mauled Derek after a pack meeting, making him keep his leather jacket on. The rest of the pack kept a wide berth whenever Derek wore the jacket after that. According to Scott, it smelled even more like sex than Derek and Stiles normally did, especially because whenever Stiles saw it, it sent a spike of arousal down his spine straight to his dick.  

His dad must have noticed the hot blush across his face because he shook his head. “I don’t want to know.” He made his way towards the door. “Be careful tonight. I don’t want…details per say, but stay safe. And before you go back to school, you, Derek, and I are all having dinner. No excuses, he already knows.” 

Stiles groaned.  

\- - - - -  

Isaac and Deaton stepped into the room first before Derek entered. Stiles couldn’t say he blamed them, but he didn’t feel like raging out on anyone, least of all Derek. More than anything, he wanted to wrap himself around Derek and just breathe him in.  

The high pitched whine that left his throat was unexpected, and he sensed the need in Derek to soothe.  

“Guys, not that I don’t get your concern, but I really just need to be with Derek right now.”  

Isaac shifted, eyes moving between Derek and Stiles. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” 

“Please,” Stiles pleaded. “You’ll be right around the corner if anything happens, but I promise, it won’t.” He looked over to Deaton. “Please.” 

Reluctantly, Deaton stepped back and motioned for Isaac, who didn’t seem comfortable leaving the two of them alone. Derek hadn’t moved, but the tension in his body was evident. To his credit, he didn’t snarl at Isaac for not wanting to leave and he didn’t move towards Stiles although his Alpha could sense his Omega’s distress.  

Once Deaton and Isaac exited the room, an awkward silence filled the air. Stiles’ hands tingled the way they had when he was in the office with Gustav and Derek took a small step back, holding his hands out at his sides.  

“I can control it, just keep the Alpha tendencies to a minimum.” His voice was strained, and he fought the urge to whine again. He knew Derek wasn’t intentionally pushing him away, but it didn’t make the dull throb in his chest recede. “Derek…please…I need to touch you.” 

He took a slow step forward, and then another, reaching out for Derek. 

“Stiles…” He found himself wrapped up in Derek’s arms, his Alpha’s scent surrounding and soothing the wolf in him. Stiles shifted his head to one side, resting his cheek on Derek’s shoulder and letting Derek’s nose slide up his neck. Derek shifted Stiles in his arms, tentatively turning his head to allow Stiles access to his own neck. The tension slowly started to bleed away, but the nervous energy was still there. Stiles took a deep breath against Derek’s skin and willed himself to relax, smiling as he felt Derek relax into him and pull him even tighter against the solid line of his body.  

They stood in silence for a long time before Stiles spoke.  

“I’m sorry…” 

Derek shook his head, rubbing his stubble against Stiles’ cheek. “It doesn’t matter. Just…be here with me, ok?” 

Stiles nodded frantically, adjusting his arms so they wrapped around Derek instead of being trapped between their bodies. Hs hands slid up underneath Derek’s shirt, letting his palms soak up the heat coming from his Alpha. The skin on skin contact sent a heated feeling down his spine that slowly pooled in the small of his back. He twisted his face to look up into Derek’s face and felt his eyelids get heavy. Another whine escaped his lips and suddenly there was too much separating them. He was vaguely aware of the sun starting to sink into the horizon, and everything began to smell more potent.  

“Stiles…I need to you to try and calm down, ok?” 

He registered Deaton’s voice and could smell Isaac trying to send calming waves his way, but he only tightened his hold. Derek’s hands ran up and down his back and made soft noises at the back of his throat, not pulling away from Stiles’ grip. “I’m here.” 

Stiles sensed Isaac take a step closer and instinctively turned his head, locking eyes with the man and growling. Derek momentarily tensed against him and that was enough to snap Stiles out of it.  

“Shit, shit,” he pulled away and took several steps away from Derek. “Shit, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened.” 

Deaton stepped forward before Derek could respond. “Stiles, this is normal. You got yourself under control just now, so this is good.” 

Stiles closed his eyes and took deep breaths, focusing on his heartrate, the breeze coming from the open window down the hall, the quiet calm outside, and the smell of the oncoming night. The blood coursing through his veins cooled with each breath, and when he opened his eyes, the lines were no longer fuzzy.  

“Ok. Ok. I got this.” He shook out his arms and cleared his throat. “So should we head out soon? I’d hate to be caught mid-shift in the backseat of a car.” 

Derek rolled his eyes but didn’t bother to hide the small grin on his face. Isaac let out a breath Stiles imagined he’d been holding since Derek had walked in.  

“Before you go, I have something for you.” Deaton turned to walk out the door. “Derek, Isaac, you two can wait outside. Stiles will join you momentarily.” 

\- - - - -  

By the time the three of them arrived at the Hale house, the rest of the pack was already waiting. Stiles got out of the car and was immediately tackled by Scott, much to Derek’s displeasure, but he managed to keep it under control. The rest of the pack moved forward slowly, but at seeing Derek’s eyeroll, they lunged.  

Lydia hung back with Jackson and Boyd. Jackson was still acting like a douchebag and Boyd, well Stiles already accepted the fact that Boyd wasn’t very tactile unless it came to Erica. Once everyone got their giddiness out of their systems, Lydia stepped forward like the level-headed one she was.  

“Your dad packed a bag with some extra clothes, and he’s been made aware of the fact you may not be returning home for a few days.” 

A hot flush broke out on Stiles’ body. Erica giggled. Of course she giggled. 

“Yea I, uh, talked to Deaton already. It’s good.”  

Lydia’s eyebrow arched perfectly and her eyes flickered over to Derek, who looked slightly confused. “I’ll tell you…later,” he said. He really didn’t want to have that particular discussion in front of everyone, although he had a sneaking suspicion that Isaac and Lydia, obviously, already knew what it was about.  

“Where’s Allison?” He asked, looking at Scott and effectively changing the subject. 

“She didn’t feel comfortable being around for the ceremony. Lydia’s going to call her once it’s over. Her dad said the Winchester brothers are here again, so she’s going to have dinner with everyone before heading out this way.” 

“Yea, my dad told me. Is that where Peter is too?” Stiles noticed a distinct lack of creepy uncle. He figured he’d want to be here to witness this momentous occasion. 

“I told Peter that if he couldn’t behave, he wouldn’t be welcome. Besides,” he added, stripping off his shirt which Stiles thought was desperately unfair considering how he felt his hormones were raging out of control. “Just because he’s my uncle doesn’t mean he’s part of this pack. Now let’s go, I want to get a few miles out before the moon completely takes over.” He winked at Stiles, shifting into his Beta form. “Let’s see if you can keep up.” 

Before Stiles could formulate a witty retort, Derek had already taken off with Erica and Boyd hot on his heels. Jackson rolled his eyes and pulled off his hoodie before shifting, casting a parting glance at Lydia before taking off after them.  

“You ready?” Scott was virtually bouncing with pent up energy.  

Stiles kicked off his shoes and socks while removing his shirt. He left his pants on for decency’s sake. There would be plenty of time for him to take those off later considering what was going to happen in about an hour. He closed his eyes and focused, feeling the bones in his face alter.  

When he opened his eyes, he took in the sharp features around him. Lydia smirked.  

“That’s a good look for you, Stiles. Now go. We’ll be right behind you.” 

Stiles turned his head and caught the scent in the air. He didn’t need to be told twice. 

\- - - - -  

By the time the pack slowed, they had run several miles into the dense wilderness. He couldn’t hear any sounds other than the pack and the surrounding wildlife. He’d taken off his watch, but judging by the height of the moon it had to be close to 11. Isaac was close by his side when they finally stopped running, Stiles’ chest heaving at the exertion and the overwhelming scents around him. Most potent was Derek’s. 

Their eyes locked almost instantly: Alpha red and Omega gold. Derek growled deep in his chest and stepped forward.  

_Submit._  

Stiles pushed back, not giving an inch.  

The rest of the pack had moved away from the two of them, holding steady. Lydia was speaking soft words to them and Stiles felt the rolling ways of support, but he knew it wasn’t quite enough. Deaton said he needed to complete the shift to continue, that Derek would take the lead in establishing his position and because he had to teach Stiles, as his mate and as his equal. The rest of the pack had to see the acceptance, and then accept the equal status of both. They could do this. They had to.  

At first, it hurt more than anything Stiles had ever felt. He could feel his bones break and reconstruct, his blood boiling under the new skin and fur. The conscious part of his brain locked onto Derek and felt him guiding the shift, but it did nothing to ease the pain. His organs churned inside his new body and for a split second, he wanted to vomit. He wanted to quit, take everything back, start over.  

And then he heard it: a quiet hum. The pain faded and his breathing returned to normal. If he thought his senses were heightened as a werewolf, they were even more enhanced as a wolf. When he opened his eyes, he saw Derek’s black wolf and red eyes watching him. He turned his head and saw Boyd, Erica, Jackson, Lydia, Scott, and Isaac crouched in a semi-circle. Before he could turn his attention back to Derek, the wolf lunged and pinned Stiles to the dirt.  

_SUBMIT._  

Stiles bucked and snapped at Derek’s face, scratching out and snarling. He could feel Derek trying to force his submission, but Stiles couldn’t just give in. He had to prove to Derek, and to the pack, he was better than this. He could hold his own. He had to show them. He forced his body to go limp long enough to let Derek think he’d given up before rolling out from under the heavy wolf.  

Catching his bearings, he raised himself up and began circling around Derek. Walking on all fours felt steadier than just two legs, but he had to account for more body weight no matter how evenly distributed it might be. Just when he figured out his next move, he heard a rumble off to his left and zeroed in on Scott. Before Derek could react, Stiles positioned himself between them, hackles raised and teeth bared at his friend. 

_You better step off. Not your place._

He didn’t wait for Scott’s response before turning back to Derek and finding his Alpha’s attention still on the other wolf.  

Stiles lunged. The angle was just right and he caught Derek under the jaw, flipping them both over twice before Stiles landed on top of Derek’s form, his own teeth gripping Derek’s maw.  

_Let me._  

He could feel Derek’s panic as his eyes darted between the pack and Stiles breathed deep. The hum was back, louder than last time, and he felt Derek’s body relax one hair at a time. The hum was the pack, the hum was acceptance, the hum meant their submission to Derek as their Alpha and to Stiles as his mate. Once Derek’s body slumped in the ground, Stiles let go of Derek’s throat and began licking the place his teeth had gripped. A quiet rumble filled the air: Derek was laughing. Or rather, the wolf equivalent of a laugh. Stiles let his weight drop down on Derek completely and rubbed his muzzle vigorously against his face.  

Derek rolled them over in retaliation and huffed. Stiles wanted to tell him to use his words, but he knew what Derek wanted. Not breaking eye contact, Stiles tipped his head back to Derek.  

_I’m yours._  

Derek gently licked over Stiles neck and he could hear the wolf’s mantra: _Mine, you’re mine. And I’m yours. Only yours._  

Stiles could feel the affirmation and he knew he must have looked smug as he reveled in the attention from his Alpha. He opened his eyes and saw the rest of the pack start to move closer, curious and anxious. The fur on his neck was almost soaked and he needed to stretch his limbs. He yawned and pushed up against Derek, shaking his head and trying to maneuver out from under the heavy wolf. Derek reluctantly eased up and let Stiles stumble onto his feet…paws, shaking out his fur and stretching his back. He yawned again, unable to stop himself, and sat back on his haunches, fully aware of his tongue lolling out to the side.  

“Wow, Stiles. You’re a damn good-looking wolf,” Erica said, reaching out to scratch behind his ear. A groan escaped his mouth as his eyes closed against the sensation of having his head scratched. This was so totally awesome. Unable to resist, he leaned forward and licked a long stripe across her face, causing Boyd to bark out in laughter.  

“Eww! Gross!” But there was no heat behind her words as she tried to wipe her face on Boyd’s shirt. Lydia stepped forward with Isaac, who instinctively leaned in to scent Stiles.  

“Don’t you dare lick me, Stilinski, or you will wake up bald.”  

Stiles clamped his mouth shut as Lydia ran her fingers through Stiles’ fur. Jackson kept his distance along with Boyd and Scott.  

“So are you going to stay a wolf all night or are you going to shift into Beta?” Leave it to Jackson to be an asshat at Stiles’ shining moment. He huffed and flattened his ears in exasperation before turning his attention back to Lydia and Isaac, who was now resting his weight against Stiles’ side. Derek seemed content off to be sitting off to the side, tail twitching behind him. Stiles knew he wanted to run together as wolves for a little while before shifting back, and Stiles really wanted to stretch his new legs out. But before he did that… 

Scott never saw it coming. They both ended up on the ground wrestling for dominance. Stiles took advantage in the element of surprise and licked Scott’s face, much to Derek’s chagrin. He could almost feel the disapproval oozing from the wolf, but that didn’t stop Stiles from harassing his best friend. He shifted into his Beta form before he knew what happened.  

“That was a dick move earlier, dude. I should have let Derek tear you a new one, or I would have done it.”  

Scott at least had the decency to look sheepish. “It was just…” 

Stiles held up his hand. “I know.” It was really hard to talk with the sharp teeth in his mouth. “Let’s just keep from it from happening again, yea? You’re my best friend, I don’t want that to change.” He shifted to human, fully aware he wasn’t wearing pants, and held out his hand. “We good?” 

Scott shifted back, ignoring the varying degrees of naked, and clasped Stiles’ hand in his. He opened his mouth to speak but Lydia interrupted. 

“Ok, this is all good and dandy, but it’s past midnight and some of us want to get moving. I’m calling Allison so I’ll catch up with you all later.” She disappeared back the way they came, phone in hand.  

Behind him, Derek made some howly noises to get Stiles’ attention. _Come on, let’s go. I wanna go._  

Jackson opened his mouth next, and Stiles wished the noises that came out were incoherent. “As cool as you being a werewolf is, Stiles, I could have done without the image of you naked. So please, do us a favor and just-“ He waved his hand in Stiles’ general direction.  

Erica smirked, and in her Beta form, that was rather terrifying. “I dunno, Jackson, I don’t really mind the view from here.”  

Derek made an unhappy noise and ambled over to stand in front of Stiles.  

“Alright, alright.” He closed his eyes and willed his body to shift into Beta and then transition into full wolf. The effect was a little less nauseating now that he was aware of how his body took to the shift, but he figured it would take time to fully adjust. When he opened his eyes, excitement filled the air. He pounced over to Isaac and flicked him with his tail before bounding off into the trees, Derek and the rest of the pack close on his heels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this kind of cuts a little short - I wanted to add more but then I realized this chapter would end up being about 10k if I did that and I'd rather not overwhelm with too much all in one go. You'll see why when the next chapter is added ;)


	13. In Which Derek Finally Claims Stiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like it says in the title, Derek officially claims Stiles after the ceremony. There's some running in the woods and some fun times in the woods. And Erica is kind of a voyeur. And then more stuff happens at the Hale house. Because Stiles' first heat kicks in. And Stiles makes some knot so witty comments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sort of unbeta'd save for what I revised before posting. Not gonna lie guys, this chapter is really just gratuitous porn. Literally. It's been a hot minute since I wrote sex (perhaps because it was all waiting to explode in this chapter) and sweet baybeh Jaysus did I just go crazy.   
> So warnings as follows:  
> Bestiality- kind of (except I don't think it counts since both Stiles and Derek are werewolves but some people might not be ok with it)  
> Exhibitionism  
> Voyeurism  
> Outdoor sex  
> Dominant Alpha Derek  
> Submissive Omega Stiles  
> Hints of orgasm delay/denial  
> Asphyxiation (blink and you'll miss it)  
> Knotting  
> Stiles going into a heat daze  
> Rough sex (sort of, Derek does some manhandling of Stiles)  
> Werewolf sex in general (everyone has sex in the same room but not necessary all with each other)  
> Hints at partner swapping (maybe)
> 
> So yeah, now that all THAT'S out there- I'm gonna go…over there…and think about what I've just done.

_He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so alive. As his paws hit the rough ground and the cool night air flooded his lungs, he realized everything he felt now was what he had been missing his whole life._  

_Why had he been so afraid of turning, of being one of them?_

Stiles knew he was thinking too much, but his head was as clear as the night sky.  

He didn’t realize he was alone until he turned his head to catch a glimpse of Derek… who was no longer by his side. He skidded to a stop and scented the air; his mate’s scent was still present, but he couldn’t see him. Stiles yelped in annoyance before sitting on his haunches. He contemplated shifting out of his full wolf so he could use his words, but something told him he should stay just as he- 

A heavy weight hit his side and sent him tumbling. Teeth nipped at his sides and under his jaw, but not in aggression. Too tired to fight, Stiles let his body go limp and waited for Derek to stop. When Stiles met his eyes, Derek actually looked put-out, ears drooping against his skull.  

Stiles cocked his head and raised up to lick his face before dropping back down to the ground and yawning widely. Derek had taken it upon himself to play this game constantly since the ceremony and Stiles had been more than enthused to indulge him, roughhousing back and tumbling through shrubs and leveling small trees in his effort to escape. The rest of the pack ran into them intermittently, Derek having made it clear he wanted Stiles to himself tonight. But right now, Stiles was tired, werewolf stamina be damned. He figured it had to be getting close to sunrise so all he really wanted to do was head back to the house for puppy piles and napping and snacking.  

(He tried to eat a rabbit earlier but he wasn’t quite prepared for the whole raw animal diet. To his credit, he had actually caught and killed the rabbit, but once his human brain realized what he did, he got slightly queazy and passed the dead animal to Derek, who swallowed it almost immediately with a look of adoration. It looked a little creepy actually).  

Wanting to use his words, Stiles shifted.  

“Hey, don’t give me that look,” he said, petting Derek’s face. “I am absolutely loving every minute of this, but I’m getting really tired.” He punctuated his statement with another yawn and a stretch, strategically reaching up and letting his bare chest rub against Derek’s fur. The sensation sent a spark down Stiles’ spine and slowly turned into arousal. Derek hadn’t ever let Stiles see him as a wolf, never had the chance to touch him the way he was now, and damn if that didn’t make Stiles want to keep touching him. No way this was considered bestiality now that Stiles was a werewolf, and Derek’s mate. Derek’s very horny werewolf mate.  

Derek growled deep in his chest, a growl that went straight to Stiles’ dick. Suddenly, Stiles began to feel way to hot under his skin and his vision started to tunnel.  

_Want want need want Derek need Derek need to feel Derek want Derek Derek Derek_. 

He became aware of Derek scenting him: his rough tongue licking over his neck, his chest, gently running his teeth over his nipples and then not so gently nipping at the skin at his hips, the puffs of warm moist air against his pale skin. Stiles arched his back, wanting Derek’s tongue between his legs but unable to form the words. Instead, he whined, trying to shift his legs. Derek ignored him, bypassing his dick and licking down the inside of his thighs. Stiles took the opportunity to close his hand around himself, squeezing once before Derek’s red eyes appeared over his own, snapping his teeth in warning.  

Stiles smirked, rolling over onto his stomach and released himself, letting it hang heavy between his damp thighs as he raised up and presented. His logical brain knew what was happening. He could feel an unfamiliar wetness start to trickle down his legs, and he silently thanked Deaton for his foresight. 

“Stiles, Stiles, fuck… You’re wet… I need to, please, let me, please…”  

He had felt Derek shift, both of them covered in grass and dirt, naked and desperate.  

Stiles grunted and pushed his ass back. “Derek, staring is great, but if you don’t do something, I’m going to-“ 

A tongue licked up from his balls to the small of his back.  

“Don’t fucking stop! Goddammit, Derek, I need you-“  

The tongue that breached him was longer than Derek’s human tongue and a whole lot rougher. Stiles rocked back, letting himself shift into Beta as Derek continued licking into him. This was so much better than the first time. He couldn’t restrain the noises he made, and he hoped the pack wasn’t within earshot, not that he cared but he didn’t want a bunch of eavesdroppers and voyeurs. Right now he really wanted to come, preferably on more than just Derek’s really talented tongue.  

He didn’t really get a chance to voice that thought because the tongue scraped and pushed and nudged that little organ inside his body that made him see stars. The slick flowing out of him, what wasn’t being lapped up by Derek, formed small pools on the ground. Stiles’ knees spread wider as he tried to push back. He wanted to wrap a hand around himself but he didn’t want to risk faceplanting. Derek must have gotten the hint because at the same time Stiles rocked back, Derek’s tongue twisted and Stiles came so hard his arms buckled and he hit the ground anyway.  

“Ooph!” So much for fast reflexes. He wanted to pick himself up but couldn’t quite muster the energy so instead he gripped his dick, still half hard, and gave it a good pull. Apparently Derek still didn’t like the idea of Stiles touching himself because a clawed hand gripped his arm while the other arm wrapped around his chest and hauled him into Derek’s lap, back to chest.  

“Remember what Gustav said, Stiles…” Maybe it was the way Derek said it or the tone he used, all rough and gravely like he hadn’t spoken in a while, like he had been saving his words for Stiles’ ears alone, but it sent a flush of heat straight through him and a fresh pulse of slick between their bodies. “After your first shift, he said your first heat would happen soon thereafter. I can almost smell it on you, just out of reach. And as much as I’d like to have my way with you out in the woods, I’d rather go back to the house where we’ll have privacy. I don’t want anyone else seeing you like this…”

Stiles caught his breath, turning his head to kiss Derek’s jaw. “Who’s gonna see me out here?” 

Derek’s grip tightened. “Too open, and you’re mine. I don’t want to take that chance.” 

Stiles could feel how hard Derek was, no way they could manage to go back in their current state. Stiles came once, but he was more than ready to go again, and he wanted Derek with him. “Come on, need to get you off too, Sourwolf. Wanna feel you inside me again, been too long. Need it, Derek. Need you.” 

It was Derek’s turn to whine, his cock slipping between Stiles’ asscheeks, slicking him up. He caught Derek’s mouth in a filthy kiss, their sharp teeth breaking skin and healing instantly. It should be gross, swapping blood and spit and slick between their mouths. Stiles pulled away just enough to catch Derek’s red eyes flicker down to the space between them before latching back onto his mouth.  

“Not like this… Human, need to be human…”  

He wanted Derek to take him as a wolf, wanted him to lose it in the way he hadn’t in the past, afraid he would be hurting Stiles and pushing the human beyond what his fragile body could take. He wasn’t human anymore though, but he understood Derek’s desire to do this as humans rather than wolves, at least for now. By way of response, he raised up a few inches and gripped Derek, sinking down on him little by little until he was flush with Derek’s hips. The slick Stiles produced made the burn and stretch much easier than what he remembered, but it still wasn’t enough to fully take away the flare of pain despite the prep he’d gotten earlier. He could feel how difficult it was for Derek to wait for him to adjust, positioning himself in the curve of Derek’s body, bracketed by his strong thighs. The burn gave way to the intense sensation of _YES YES YES_ and suddenly Stiles just wanted Derek to MOVE. 

Very human hands came down to grip Stiles hips, raising him up only a little before bringing him back down, thrusting up as best he could without losing skin contact. Stiles brought one arm up to grip the back of Derek’s neck as he leaned his head back, exposing his throat and giving his Alpha a view down his chest to his flushed cock bouncing against his stomach, leaving a trail of clear fluid leaking from the tip.  

His mouth was right next to Derek’s ear so he flicked it with his tongue, feeling the grip on his hips tighten for a fraction of a second before relaxing again. So Stiles did it again, this time sucking the earlobe into his mouth and tugging.  

“Stiles…”  

He smirked. “M’not a fragile human anymore, Der. You’re not going to break me…” He wove his fingers into Derek’s thick hair, twisting his head and crashing their mouths together. “Fuck me like you mean it.” 

Derek’s eyes flashed red. “Stiles, stop. I can’t. Not yet… I can’t knot you yet. Can’t, not here, want to wait, want to claim you right.” 

Stiles felt his own eyes flicker. He didn’t forget that Derek could knot, not really, there was just a lot on his mind lately and that was one thing he may have sort of overlooked a little. “Oh…” 

Derek slowed his thrusts, and arched an eyebrow. “Oh.” He released Stiles’ hips in favor of wrapping his arms around his Omega. “That’s all?” He tried to act serious, but Stiles caught the smirk playing at the edge of his mouth. So he kissed it. And then kissed it again.  

“No, it just slipped my mind. It’s ‘knot’ going to happen again,” he chuckled. 

A sharp thrust bounced Stiles up, hitting his prostate and pushing the air out of his lungs.   

“Don’t even start…” 

“Start what?” He asked, rotating his hips and catching Derek’s mouth.  

“You know **what** …”  

“I can assure you I do ‘knot’.” Another sharp thrust. “Let me come, Der… Need to come…” 

Derek wrapped a hand around Stiles’ neck. “I should make you wait…” 

Stiles whimpered. “You’d only be punishing yourself, Sourwolf… I know you want to feel me come around you, with or without your knot… You miss being inside me, miss filling me up, miss the sounds I make when I’m getting close… And I’m getting really close, Derek…” He wasn’t lying either; Stiles was about five strokes away from coming again, and he wanted Derek with him. So before Derek could open his mouth to say something to the contrary, he slid his tongue into his mouth and guided Derek’s other hand to his throbbing cock.  

Two strokes later, Stiles came and simultaneously pulled Derek’s orgasm out of him. A blast of cold air hit his lungs when he realized Derek let go if his throat in favor of bracing himself and stopping the both of them from falling backwards.  

After a few minutes of relearning how to breathe and getting their bearings, Stiles realized they had no clothes, they smelled like sex, and the pack had crossed into hearing distance because he heard Scott protest and Jackson complain about having to go back to the same house that Stiles and Derek would be ‘sexing up’. He tried to stifle his laughter until he felt Derek shaking in silent laughter behind him. Gingerly pulling himself off of Derek and onto his feet, he was about to recommend taking a dip in a nearby stream when Erica’s voice invaded the stillness.  

“You think they’d let us watch next time?” 

Derek’s face coupled with Boyd’s squawk and Allison’s giggle almost made Stiles drop to his knees and praise the gods for gifting him such an awesome life. He thought better of it when Derek turned his glare on him, effectively stopping him.  

No matter, he’d find the time to do it later.  

\- - - - -  

By the time they got back to the Hale house, the sun just started breaking through trees. Stiles found a dufflebag with his clothes, wallet, and phone inside. He remembered Lydia saying something about Allison bringing some things for him and once he pulled on a pair of Derek’s sweatpants (he made a big stink about Stiles wearing his clothes) he thanked her. She smelled a little uneasy and he made a mental note to talk to her before he went back to school. He knew that she didn’t hate him or look at him differently, but based off of what Isaac had told him before, he was aware that Allison felt left out now since she was the only human member of the pack now. Isaac and Scott had talked about bringing Danny in, but it was ultimately up to Derek. Given Stiles’ position now (not that he would ever abuse it) he figured he could talk to Derek and make the case that Danny would make a good addition to the pack. Plus, he was friends with everyone already, so it wasn’t like there would be any weird tension. But that was a discussion for another day.  

Right now, all Stiles wanted to do was collapse into the mass of mattresses, blankets, and pillows in the middle of the living room floor. He didn’t appreciate it when he first saw it, but now he realized exactly what it meant to everyone. What it meant to Derek. Maybe one day, Derek would be able to rebuild the house completely. If not this house because of the memories it held, then another one in the same vicinity. He knew Derek had money: his parents came from old money and invested most of it, setting up funds for all the Hale children. Stiles never asked how much Derek had, never really wanted to know, and honestly didn’t really care. He knew enough about Derek as it was to trust him with everything.  

He chanced a look over at Derek on the porch with Scott and Lydia watching the sunlight creep its way into the woods.  

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he located his phone and texted his dad giving him the heads up that everything and everyone was fine. Isaac and Allison came out of the kitchen with snacks. Everything smelled like _home, pack, cozy_ to Stiles. No one really smelled like an individual, except for Derek but he figured that was because Derek was HIS. Feeling smug, he sent the text and maneuvered around to reach his hand into the bowl with the cheesy popcorn, stuffing a handful into his mouth before going back for more.  

“You’re an animal. At least pretend like you have manners.” 

Stiles would have retorted but his mouth was full so he resorted to throwing food. He caught Derek’s gaze as he made his way back inside and shrugged. _He started it_.  

He stepped into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and when he came back, he realized everyone was still standing. And waiting.  

“Um…”  

Jackson, demonstrating once more that he was the blunt asshole of the group, spoke up. “We’re waiting for you, dumbass. Pick you spot so Derek can spoon you and the rest of us can get comfy.” That earned him a smack across the back of the head from Lydia. 

 

“If you can’t say nice things, Jackson.” 

Stiles chuckled, but downed his water and made his way right to the middle of the soft mass. Unable to resist, he laced his fingers together behind his head and leaned back. “Let the puppy pile commence!” 

Derek huffed, dropping down to Stiles’ right side and pulling him close. Isaac fell next, followed by Allison and Scott, then Erica at their feet with Boyd situated in such a way that left one of Stiles’ feet under one massive bicep and one of Derek’s feet firmly planted across his upper back. Lydia ended up on Derek’s other side, reaching for Stiles’ hand over Derek’s waist. Naturally, Jackson landed behind her, letting the arm resting over Lydia brush against the bare skin of Derek’s back (though Stiles knows he’ll deny it to his dying day, as will Derek. At least Boyd didn’t deny sometimes wanting to touch Derek).  

Giggles commenced as everyone adjusted themselves and rediscovered ticklish spots. Stiles wiggled his toes under Boyd, but was quickly shut down when he realized the guy wasn’t ticklish, at least not anywhere Stiles could reach. Finally, when the giggles died down and the shifting stopped, Stiles let himself float off, imagining he could see the weird puzzle they all formed. That was his last coherent thought before falling into a deep sleep, with Derek’s hand curling around his chest.  

\- - - - -  

So when Derek said he could sense that Stiles’ heat was just out of reach, he should have been more specific with just how far out of reach it was. They all couldn’t have been asleep for more than three or four hours when Stiles woke in a haze of sweat and grinding back against Derek, who went completely rigid behind him. Stiles opened his eyes against the haze and felt movement around him. 

“Oh my god…” Scott whimpered. “Shit, Stiles…” 

Behind him, Derek snarled, a quiet threat compared to the real thing. Stiles had an inkling that if the pack didn’t vacate the vicinity soon, they would have one very angry head Alpha on their hands. Not to mention one very exhibitionist Stiles who could honestly give two shits at this point who was present he just really needed to get his sweatpants off and climb Derek like a tree and that was such a great idea right now he should really get on that- 

“Stiles.” The Alpha tone effectively stopped him stripping down to his birthday suit. Instead, he rolled onto his stomach and slid his hands under the pillow, swallowing his moans as he tried to find some relief by rubbing against the blanket. It felt good, but it wasn’t enough and it only made Stiles more desperate. It didn’t help that on top of his own overwhelming arousal he could smell it on the rest of the pack, especially Isaac and Erica and Lydia. He wanted Derek to claim him in front of everyone, wanted them to see he was the only one who got Derek’s knot, the only one who got taken apart and put back together by his Alpha, by his mate. 

He must have said all of that aloud because the Alpha growled, not out of rage but out of possession. Stiles belonged to Derek, he said, and he was going to show the pack so no one would ever question that fact. He was going to knot and breed Stiles until he didn’t remember his own name, and he was going to take it.  

The burning under Stiles’ skin intensified. Sweat beaded across his shoulders and a few drops slid down and pooled in his lower back. At this point, he could have cared less if his dad was there witnessing his undoing.  

“Gross, don’t talk about the Sheriff. You’re going to kill my boner.” 

“Shut the fuck up, Jackson, before Derek changes his mind and kicks us out.” Erica sounded half out of breath. Stiles kind of wished he could see what everyone was doing, but the firm hand Derek placed on his lower back kept him from rolling over. At the same time, he felt something press up against the soaked seat of the sweatpants, belatedly realizing it was Derek’s face and he was using his mouth to pull them down. He must have gotten frustrated because Stiles heard a loud ripping and felt a rush of cool air that was quickly replaced by Derek’s mouth.  

“Don’t fucking tease me, you bastard, you’ve been teasing me all night.” He tried to raise up on his knees but the blanket kept slipping and the pressure Derek had on his lower back didn’t let up. “You need to knot me, you’ve been telling me you’re going to knot me and I-want-your-knot-IneedyourknotGIVEMEYOURKNOTDEREK!” 

The pressure let up and Stiles was ready to protest the lack of contact when he was hauled up against Derek’s chest. Derek, who shifted into Beta and who’s claws dug in to Stiles’ hips as he positioned him on his knees on display for the pack to see.  

“This what you wanted? Wanted everyone to see me make you take my knot? Make you scream on it? That what you want?” Derek had to be making an effort to talk around the razor sharp fangs in his mouth, the thick words weaving into Stiles’ psyche. So his tongue flicked out and licked those teeth. Derek growled, but didn’t pull away, choosing instead to press those fangs against the soft spot behind Stiles’ ear. “Open your eyes and tell me, Stiles. I want to hear you say it again, in front of them, watching you.” 

Stiles turned his head and nearly choked. Everyone was in various states of undress, their eyes caught between Stiles and Derek and each other. Lydia had Jackson on his back as she straddled him, rubbing off on him while his hands massaged her breasts and tugged at her nipples through her shirt. The normally shy Boyd had his face between Erica’s legs, squeezing the base of his own dick as he ate her out, eyes darting from her face to Stiles’. What really caught Stiles was Allison sandwiched between Scott and Isaac. He really wanted to say something witty, but feeling the rumble in Derek’s chest vibrating through him cut out his thought process.  

“Well, Stiles?” 

He swallowed around his tongue and the dryness in his mouth. “I want it…” 

“Can’t hear you. Louder.” He punctuated it but sliding two blunt fingers through the slick in Stiles’ cleft, barely nudging at his hole before pulling back and doing it again.  

“Derek! PLEASE!” The next time the fingers pressed in, Stiles pushed back and felt them breach him before they pulled back, earning him a swift smack on one cheek and then the other.  

“Tell them who you belong to!” 

“YOU! I BELONG TO YOU!” He was almost sobbing with need. He needed relief. “I need your knot! PLEASE, ALPHA! Give me your knot!” 

Derek must have been equally desperate because he doesn’t say anything else, choosing instead to push deep and bottom out in his mate before Stiles’ brain could catch up. Despite already having had Derek inside him, his body still clenched up at the intrusion. Stiles could taste the energy around him, urging him to relax. Derek felt impossibly bigger than he had before, or maybe that was the desperation speaking because it hurt. The body behind him shifted and he felt warm hands slide up his tense back and down his sides. When they reached his hips, he felt Derek shift again and adjust Stiles’ body, relieving some of the pressure he’d felt and replacing it with a flare of heated pleasure. Stiles’ instinctive reaction was to roll back and chase that heat; he wanted to taste it again and again until it invaded all of his senses, until all he cared to know was what Derek would share with him.  

“You’re so good for me, Stiles…” Derek whispered, rolling his hips again and giving Stiles that pleasure he craved. His hands left his hips and he pressed forward, curling one arm under Stiles’ chest and hooking his hand over the opposite shoulder while his other arm bent at the elbow and braced his weight next to their bodies. They were almost flush to the bedding beneath them, the blanket soaking up their sweat and slick. Stiles turned his head and tried to catch Derek’s mouth but gave up when he thrust into Stiles again. He barely pulled out enough to give himself room to make Stiles moan, not wanting to withdraw completely from the heat of Stiles’ body.  

Now that Derek was inside him, climax was within reach and Stiles was hurtling towards the finish. The animal side took over, needing to be bred. His whimpers turned into whines, and those whines turned into desperate cries, which only got louder the faster Derek moved behind him. He was vaguely aware of the sounds of sex around him, not caring who was making what sounds and with whom, only that they were all together fast approaching the inevitable result.  

“My beautiful Omega… my perfect mate… You would let them all see you like this, let our pack see what we are, but you’re mine, only mine…” Derek’s words were strained, like he was trying to keep from hurting Stiles because he wasn’t sure how far he could push. So Stiles did the only thing he could think of: arched his back as best he could and cocked his head, baring the pale expanse of his neck, letting his eyes flash in submission.  

“My Alpha…” 

He had to have been waiting for Stiles’ complete submission because the pace became brutal and all Stiles could do was take it. The claws on one hand bit into Stiles’ waist as he was pulled into a high kneeling position while the other held him tight by the shoulder, holding him steady as Derek snapped his hips in rapid succession. The sharp teeth should not have surprised him, but they did, biting deep into the flesh between his neck and shoulder: the claiming mark, mimicking the claim inside him. The base of Derek’s cock began to swell, putting relentless pressure on Stiles’ insides and forcing a visceral scream from deep inside him. He didn’t recognize the sounds he made after that, only that he was riding a fierce wave, one that was both hot and cold, burning him everywhere and soothing the burns all at once. The pressure of his Alpha’s teeth didn’t let up, but the thrusts slowed as the knot began tugging at Stiles’ sensitive rim.  

At the first rush of wet heat pulsing inside him, Stiles reached his peak and fell tumbling soon thereafter. His last coherent thought was Derek, his hand touching the one at his waist as his world turned into brilliant darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what to say at the end of this- if you liked it, didn't like it, are indifferent, let me know. I haven't actually ever written mating/heat sex before so I was/am a little nervous about it. I can't thank everyone enough for their support throughout this process though, from the beginning to this point now. You are all awesome :D
> 
> Also: the reason Stiles is so grateful to Deaton is because he got a contraceptive from him before they all headed out. That's why Deaton needed to talk to Stiles at the office before they left, and why Lydia and Stiles had that 'moment' in the last chapter. Derek, along with everyone else, isn't aware of that so some interesting humor happens later on ;)


	14. And the morning after. . .

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after . . . and Derek's mini-heart attack. The details of what Stiles will do once he goes back to school are sort of negotiated and worked out, thanks in part to Deaton and Gustav for their research. Stiles also has a heart to heart with Allison, which Derek learns the details of on the drive to UCLA once break is over. Derek keeps falling more and more in love with Stiles, but he's also hiding things from him. He knows that Stiles knows he's not being completely truthful about what he did while he was gone, but he hopes that one day he'll be able to be completely open with Stiles about everything. And that he'll finally get to meet Cora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Derek POV chapter because I decided I really like doing Derek POV. 
> 
> No real warnings here except for more mentions of mpreg, and evasive!Derek hiding things about what he did when he was gone. Unbeta'd except for what I read through and revised.

Derek moved around the kitchen, listening for sounds indicating Stiles was waking up. Almost five hours had passed since Stiles’ last ‘heat daze’, and only two since Derek had woken up and started fixing something for both of them to eat. The stillness of the house should have been eerie, but within its half-structured confines and distant memories, he only found comfort. When he’d returned to Beacon Hills and found Scott living comfortably in his loft, part of him wanted to use that excuse to stay gone, to go back to New York with Cora and stay there under blissful ignorance of everything that had been happening. No one, except Peter, knew why he had left at that point, or that he had been living with his sister for the last part of his forced/self-inflicted exile. He chose to stay though, and when he came to see the remnants of the house, he remembered the conversation he and Cora had had before he got on the plane and traveled back to Beacon Hills.  

_You should fix it._  

_We might be beyond fixing._  

_Not Stiles, dumbass. The house._  

_Oh._

_Your relationship with Stiles too. That’s a given, but I figure because you brought it up then you needed to be reminded. I don’t care how far gone you think it might be. He deserves to know, and at least deserves the chance to scream at you and throw things the way mom used to do to dad when he did something unspeakable._  

_I can’t recall a situation in which he left her because someone told him he needed to find a ‘suitable’ mate._  

_No, she said, but there was that time he thought about having an affair with that waitress that lived two towns over. All because she served him chocolate pie._  

_Derek smiled at that memory. Mom might have overreacted. I’m pretty sure he was being sarcastic when he said it._  

_She shrugged. Not the point. Every great couple needs that catalyst. This is yours. So fix it._  

He made a mental note to thank Cora, moreso for the Stiles advice than the house advice. And Allison, for having the foresight to stock the refrigerator and pantry. Although Derek is pretty sure Lydia and Erica had something to do with it because he found an inordinate amount of ‘finger-food’ he would never normally keep. And strawberry fruit roll-ups. And candy in general.  

The shifting of blankets and a soft groan whipped his attention to the other room, but the movement settled and Derek went back to the boiling pot of pasta. It was the easiest thing he could make, and, although he felt the overwhelming need to ‘provide’, he was pretty sure Stiles would welcome any sort of food that didn’t come prepackaged. Unless it was candy, but Derek thought if Stiles saw one more piece of chocolate or peanut butter, he might crack.  

The past two days had been spent nestled between the array of blankets and pillows, with the two of them only venturing out to use the bathroom or rummage for food in the kitchen, which mostly had been Derek’s job because as soon as he heard Stiles’ stomach start to rumble he’d been on his feet and halfway there. The pack had left around midday the first day, all of them gently nuzzling Stiles and Derek prior to leaving as a sort of homage. Both of them had been too overwhelmed with emotion to care about their exhibitionist tendencies, and no one was embarrassed or offended by it, including Allison who Derek thought might be uneasy with the whole thing. He certainly hadn’t planned for a public knotting to take place, but it felt like the right thing to do and Stiles was more than receptive, especially considering the fact he kind of initiated the whole thing. Whatever Stiles was comfortable with was good enough for Derek. Afterwards though, once the sun went down again and Stiles has been knotted twice more and food sat in their bellies, they determined that it was a ‘special occasion’ kind of thing. They wouldn’t go around having sex in front of the pack just because they could.  

More shifting and sounds of snuffling alerted Derek to the fact that Stiles was waking up and becoming aware of the presence of real food. He lowered the heat on the sauce and drained the noodles before making his way back into the living room.  

“Hey…” he mumbled, coming down gently on top of his still-sleepy mate. “Made food.” 

Stiles smiled, stretching his sleep weary muscles and popping his joints. “I know, it woke me up. I was dreaming about everything being made of noodles,” he yawned widely, unaware of his elongated canines. “And I started waking up and realized noodles were real.”  

Derek chuckled, running his hand through Stiles’ messy hair. He loved how long it was, and how Stiles’ wolf’s coat matched the hair on his head. People think its natural, for a werewolf’s fur to match the human hair, but it really wasn’t as common as they might think. A red haired person wouldn’t necessarily be an auburn wolf, it just depended on the wolf-genes he inherited. Stiles though, his brown hair with random light-brown highlights matched his wolf, especially since his fur was a little soft and shaggy compared to Derek’s wiry looking fur. His mother was almost black, like him, so no one really knew if he got his mother’s genetics or if his wolf matched him.  

He wondered what their children would look like. Then his heart skipped a beat. Or six.  

“What? What happened? You leave the stove on? Derek?” 

His eyes lowered to Stiles’, who looked on the verge of having a panic attack as his heart rate escalated. 

“Derek? Dude, you can’t go from being all ‘I made you food because you’re the best mate ever’ to ‘I think I made the biggest mistake of my life’ and not use your words.” Yeah, Stiles was definitely close to panicking. But not like Derek.  

“Stiles. Can you get pregnant right now?” 

Derek watched as Stiles’ panic melted into confusion. After another second, his mouth morphed itself into the biggest shit-eating grin Derek had ever seen on Stiles’ face. Then, his mate was shaking with silent laughter.  

“Stiles. It’s not funny. I promised your dad I would-“ 

Stiles pressed a warm hand to Derek’s mouth, trying to calm the both of them before speaking. He wiped at his eyes and before sitting up and pulling a fluffy blanket with him, pushing Derek back as he settled himself on his thighs and wrapped the blanket around both of them.  

“Hey,” he nudged Derek’s nose with his own. “Remember at Deaton’s, when he pulled me aside and told you and Isaac to wait outside? He gave me this fantastically disgusting birth control concoction. Said it was a special recipe passed down in Gustav’s family, guaranteed to prevent unwanted wolfy pregnancies even during the most fertile of heats. So no worries, Sourwolf.” He punctuated his statement with a swift kiss on Derek’s slack mouth, then stood up and started moving into the kitchen. “Now, I believe I was awakened with promises of nourishment.” 

\- - - - -  

Stiles’ heat officially broke on Wednesday in the midmorning hours, even though he argued it was over sooner than that _(It’s been over since Tuesday night, Derek)_. Derek refused to listen because he could still smell it (three days being the average time), and he would be damned if they went out into public (or over to the Sheriff’s house) and Stiles was suddenly seized with a case of ‘need Derek’s knot right fucking now’ (Stiles’ words, even though Stiles himself doesn’t remember actually saying them. It was midnight on the first night so Derek can’t really blame him, heat fever and all), so Stiles acquiesced to Derek’s request of staying put for another twelve hours until Derek was satisfied.  

The first thing they did was clean, or rather, Derek cleaned. Some things were virtually unsalvageable but others just had to be thrown into the wash and they’d be good as new. Only Allison and Scott were at the loft when they came in, and Stiles took the opportunity to take a walk with Allison to the nearby coffee shop. Derek doesn’t know the details of their conversation, but whatever happened caused Allison to come back smelling much more at ease than she had been before and that caused a distinct change in Scott’s demeanor, who had been on the verge of pacing the entire time Allison and Stiles had been gone. Derek knows he could ask and Stiles would tell him, but he prefers to remain blissfully ignorant. If it had been a conversation for everyone, they could have had it in the loft. So Derek relied on Stiles’ judgment and kissed him when he walked back in the door.  

After they stopped by the loft, they went to Stiles’ house. The Sheriff was on duty for another few hours so Stiles took the opportunity to clean up and get dinner started for the three of them, though he made enough for four in case Melissa came over. He and Stiles worked in near silence but it was comfortable, only exchanging words when necessary. The near-frenzy of Stiles’ movements that Derek had grown so accustomed to had almost receded, his body emitting a quiet thrum of energy as he moved around. Derek wondered briefly how he sounded to Stiles, but figured that was a question for another day.  

When John finally got home, he pulled Stiles into a bone-crushing hug before turning his attention on Derek, who learned what ‘Stilinski bear-hug’ meant. He always thought Stiles had been exaggerating, and he could see the amusement in his eyes when John finally let him go. _Laugh it up_ , he thought as he grinned back.  

Dinner was relaxed, like the three of them had been doing it for years but none of them had actually caught on to the fact until just now. John made it very clear, again, that he was not interested in seeing grandchildren until he and Stiles were ‘officially official on paper and by law’ because he didn’t want his still-teenage son pregnant in college. Something told Derek that the Sheriff (with help from Erica and Lydia no doubt) was already planning a small nursery in Stiles’ old room. Maybe Stiles caught onto it too because he caught the tell-tale lip curl/eyebrow arch combination he wore when he knew more than he was letting on. No one said anything though. And then the topic of university habitation came up (the Sheriff’s words, not Derek’s).  

“So, Stiles was telling me that in order to live out on town he’d need a roommate.” A simple statement. On its own, prior to their circumstance, it wouldn’t have meant anything. Right now though, in current time, Derek felt like he’d been caught and now was the time to confess.  

“Uh, dad…” Nerves crept into the air.  

“I, uh, started looking at places a few days ago, before Stiles got back. There’s one maybe five minutes walking distance from campus close to where most of Stiles’ classes are: affordable, decent sized, and the neighborhood looks nice. The current residents aren’t moving out until April so…” He let the sentence hover for a second before chancing a look at Stiles, whose mouth was hanging slightly open and fork was halfway to falling out of his hand.  

“You looked at apartments? For us?” His voice squeaked. And Derek felt momentarily nervous. Before he could speak, he noticed that the Sheriff was also relatively quiet, and looked slightly embarrassed.  

“I’m sorry, Stiles. I didn’t mean to throw that out there like that. I thought you two had already talked about moving in together and just wanted to make sure we were all on the same page.” 

Stiles’ mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he finally spoke. “No, I’m not upset or anything, I just-“ He turned to Derek. “You already started planning this? Like, moving in together? You’d move down to LA to live with me?” Derek realized the nerves were shock and disbelief that Derek would drop his life in Beacon Hills to move closer to Stiles. They made quite the pair. 

He reached his hand the short distance over the table and clasped Stiles’. 

“For you: anything.” 

\- - - - -  

Derek had completely forgotten about the contraceptive Stiles had taken _(Really, Derek? Really?)_ until Deaton called them into the clinic Thursday morning. Not only had he forgotten, but he didn’t realize that HE could take one too. And by ‘could’, they meant ‘would have to’ because no chances were being taken when it came to Stiles’ fertility.  

Now that his heat was over, Gustav had wanted to take samples of Stiles’ blood and various ‘other bodily fluids’ to get a baseline for his health. As luck would have it, Stiles was incredibly fertile and if it hadn’t been for the contraceptive concoction Deaton had supplied, Stiles would undoubtedly be pregnant. (Derek may or may not have nearly fainted, and no one was telling Stiles’ dad. EVER.) So after being poked by Gustav and then answering various questions, Deaton gave them the ‘birds and the bees’ talk, werewolf edition.  

“Stiles will have to have a shot on the same day and around the same time once a week until you both decide you want to start a family. Derek, yours is more lenient at only once every 3 months, but the same goes with regularity. Do it on a day you know you’ll remember.” 

“How come Derek’s is once every 3 months?” Stiles asked, looking at the vial of dubious looking liquid. “This looks gross.” 

“It’s the same stuff you drank before, but compounded slightly differently. You’ll still be able to taste it, but it won’t be as potent as when you drank it.” He held up a syringe that looked like it was for insulin. “You can use these; the needle is small and the measurement is more accurate than a normal syringe. It’s going to be 8 units twice a month. There’s enough in a vial to last for almost six months, which is what your heat cycle should level out to be.” He set down the syringe and the vial and picked up another bottle, this one with a clearer looking liquid.  

“I’m guessing that’s mine,” Derek said, sniffing the bottle when he took it from Deaton. It didn’t smell nearly as invasive as Stiles’ did.  

“Right. Your dose is 10 units. The reason Derek’s are more spaced out is because he’s not actually the one conceiving. His body wants to make sure YOU conceive, and your body responds to that. Derek’s swimmers don’t change their potency, so to speak. Your body responds depending on the month, the moon, your heat cycle, how you feel, your hormones-“ 

Stiles waved his hand. “Alright, alright, I get it. I’m flexible, he’s not.” He eyed the vials. “So I’ll need to take this for a long ass time then huh?” 

Gustav looked up from his notes to answer Stiles’ question. “I’m actually working on a mixture closer to what Derek will be taking so you’re not giving yourself shots twice a month. No guarantees though, and I’d hate to give you something that’s not 100%.”  

They all knew what ‘not 100%’ meant.  

“Eyes up here, Sourwolf.” 

Derek’s eyes shot up to Stiles’ amused brown ones, realizing then that he’d been staring at Stiles’ flat abdomen the entire time.  

He didn’t blush. The heat in the clinic must have finally kicked on with the change in temperature outside. Deaton should probably get his unit checked though, just in case. 

\- - - - -  

“Where’s Peter?” 

Derek looked up from his book only to be met with inquisitive brown eyes from the opposite side of the sofa. “What?” 

Stiles dropped his textbook onto his lap and looked at Derek. “Where’s Peter? We haven’t seen him since Wednesday when we hung out with the Argents and the Winchesters and we all shifted and stuff so they could ogle and ‘ooo’ and ‘aaa’. It’s Friday night now. I’m caught between being worried and being indifferent.” 

Ever since Derek told Stiles about the part Peter had to play in Derek’s departure, Stiles has been on the fence about how to act around him. Derek couldn’t really blame him, but Peter was his uncle, and he had proven his dependability on more than one occasion. His fuck-ups had been so colossal though that they almost negated the good things he’d done. Almost.  

“I think he’s in New York,” he responded. In fact, he was certain Peter was in New York visiting Cora. She hadn’t said anything to him about it, but he also didn’t ask. And Peter had made a vague reference to taking a trip to visit distant relatives, distant being ambiguous in its application. Derek only felt comfortable talking to Cora whenever Stiles wasn’t around.

“What’s in New York?” 

Derek really did not want to lie to Stiles, but he didn’t want to mention Cora just yet. Cora made Derek promise to wait until she was ready to go back to Beacon Hills before saying anything to Stiles about his ‘long lost little sister’. That way, any pressure that might come from Stiles wanting to meet her would be easily worked into their lives. On the other hand, Derek didn’t want to appear like he was keeping secrets from his mate. Alpha or no, he and Stiles were equals now, and he couldn’t just Alpha out on Stiles whenever he wanted to.  

“Old friends and the like. There’s a pack out there I spent some time with while I was gone. My mom had talked about them, but I’d never actually met them.”

“Oh.” Stiles nodded and looked down at his textbook before looking back up at Derek again. “You ever gonna tell me what you did while you were gone? Not just the broad strokes, but what you really did.” 

Derek blinked. He wasn’t expecting that question, but he really should have been. Maybe he was under the impression that Stiles didn’t care because of how everything turned out. “Yes.” 

“But not today.” The legs that had been pressed against his legs began to shift. 

Derek shook his head, fingers brushing across the soft worn pages of his book. “No, not today. But some day soon, I promise.” 

A quiet thump caught his attention and when he looked up from the sound, he felt Stiles pulling at his legs, urging him to scoot down on the sofa so that he could lay down on top of him. Once his head was pillowed on Derek’s chest and one arm somehow found its way underneath his body to cradle a shoulder blade, Stiles spoke again.  

“I trust you.” 

Derek let his book fall to the side as the hand that didn’t massage up and down Stiles’ back worked its way into his hair and began gently scratching at his scalp. “I love you.”  

\- - - - -  

Sunday came faster than Derek wanted it to, and it was time for Stiles to head back to school. So when he and Stiles drove to LA, the last hour in gridlock traffic an hour outside of the city, Stiles caught Derek up on all the ‘drama’. Derek flat out INSISTED they take the Camaro ( _No, Stiles, I’m not trying to ‘strand’ you)_ because Derek really wanted to get the Jeep into the shop and stripped down and rebuilt _(Yes, Stiles, it needs new everything, I don’t care how good its been for you)_. In his defense, Stiles refused Derek’s offer to buy him a new car, or even a used car. He said he wasn’t ‘that type of boyfriend’ and wanted to be able to buy himself a newer car when he was ready for it. The only reason he let Derek put Baby in the shop was because his dad used his ‘I’m the Sheriff’ card. Derek may or may not have bribed him with food Stiles would NEVER let his dad eat, but if John could keep a secret, Derek sure as hell could.  

As it turned out, when Stiles and Allison had their heart to heart, they also talked about everyone else in the pack. It wasn’t a reflection on Derek that he failed to notice the everyday nuances of his adopted family, but in all honesty, other matters had taken precedence.   

So a few things Derek may not have noticed: Isaac and the crush he has on his English professor at the community college, and the fact that Jackson and Lydia were on the rocks and apparently had been for a few weeks. Stiles doubted they would last until winter break. It wasn’t that they didn’t like each other anymore, but they were going in two different directions. Despite both of them being at Stanford, Lydia spent a lot of time in the math lab working on theorems and algorithms that genius mathematicians didn’t touch. She’d been offered countless research grants for her papers on thermodynamics (something to do with energy or heat, Derek got slightly lost somewhere) and some teachers wrote off her required school credits, saying her efforts were better served elsewhere. Derek was impressed, and maybe the Alpha in him wanted to preen a little bit at the brilliance of his pack. Jackson, on the other hand, had been scouted by some international lacrosse team and had been spending virtually all of his time practicing and training. If all went well, he’d be traveling over the holidays and taking online classes when he could in order to at least get his associates. Stiles still doesn’t know what Jackson is supposed to be studying.  

In short, neither Lydia or Jackson had time for each other, and neither really knew if they had any kind of future together. Derek thought back on the time that the two of them ACTUALLY spent together, and they definitely had grown further apart. Lydia had gotten closer to the pack and to Erica and Allison while Jackson seemed to drift away in his own direction. Derek wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to leave the pack all together when he finally figured out what he would be doing with his life.  

Derek barely had time to take that in before he started in on Isaac. He was already aware of the triangle relationship he had with Allison and Scott, and was sort of in on what was happening with Danny, but really didn’t need to know the details of that. The subject of Danny was one Derek was on the fence about, and he said as much to Stiles, who shrugged and said it was something they’d have to talk about as a pack before any major decisions were made. But Team Human could always use more members. The conversation wrapped back around to the English professor crush: British guy, tall, wore scarves, had a penchant for sweater-vests, and could smolder the ice off a glacier apparently.  

“Really, Stiles? Smolder the ice off a glacier?” 

Stiles shifted. “So I MAY have exaggerated a little bit, but until you see him, you are in no position to judge the smolder factor. I saw him for maybe six seconds the other day when I picked up Isaac and let me tell you, Smaug would have apologized for everything he did to the men and dwarves before flying off into the sunset never to set foot in Middle Earth again. He probably would have even rolled out the red carpet if this guy had asked and batted his eyelashes just right.” 

Derek felt his eyebrows do the thing Stiles said they did when he was hit with equal parts disbelief and skepticism. He hadn’t seen a picture of it, but he knew his facial muscles well enough to recognize the flex. “A Lord of the Rings reference? THAT’S what I have to go on? I’m beginning to think you and Isaac are suffering from the same delusion.” 

“DUDE! He looks like Thorin from the Hobbit movies! But taller, and less hairy. It’s UNCANNY!” He must have rolled his eyes because Stiles huffed and sank back down into his seat. “Disbelief all you want, grumpy, just wait til you see him. You’d have to be deaf, dumb, and blind to not think this man the most beautiful thing you’ve ever laid eyes on. Well, second most.” 

“Oh yea…?” Derek’s hand reached across the center console and slid into Stiles’ hand. “Who’s the guy that’s got the number one spot?” 

It was Stiles’ turn to roll his eyes, but Derek could smell the spike of arousal mixed in with the fondness. “I dunno, some broody guy with eyebrows for miles and an ass that won’t quit.” He turned his head and picked at the hem of his shirt, a pink tint appearing on his cheeks. “What about yours?” 

For once in his life, Derek thanked the gridlock because he unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over, leveling his gaze with Stiles’ until their noses touched.  

“Some chatty kid with a fierce glare and talented hands.” He brushed their lips together, unaware of the world outside the car. “Puts up with my shit when he doesn’t have too, lets me hold him at night even though he’d rather sprawl out, kisses me before I leave the room and then again when I come back… He’s good for me.” He pressed his lips to the darkly tinted cheeks before moving down back down to the inviting mouth. “I think you’d approve.”  

He caught Stiles’ response with his own mouth, feeling warm hands pull him closer while deepening the kiss. It wasn’t until Derek noticed someone knocking on the passenger side window that he launched himself back into his seat as Stiles reached for the window button.  

“Yes?” His voice definitely did not squeak.  

The woman at the window cleared her throat and looked a little flushed. “Um, not meaning to be rude, but since we couldn’t see into the car, we didn’t know if something happened and that’s why you weren’t moving because traffic has picked back up…” She tapered off as she inclined her head toward the open stretch of road in from of the Camaro. He vehemently resisted the urge to let his face hit the steering wheel as he felt his face burst into flames. Not to mention the fact that the woman’s eyes darted from his visibly tighter jeans to his face before she cleared her throat and looked at Stiles, who thankfully composed himself faster than Derek.  

“We’re really sorry, we just kind of- Yea, thanks though, for checking on us. We’ll get going here and stop holding up traffic.” He gave a little wave before rolling the window back up, and turning toward Derek with a rather smug grin on his face. Derek’s cheeks were still a little warm when Stiles spoke up again.  

“For the record…” he said, reaching over and weaving his fingers into Derek’s. “You instigate those kisses just as much as I do.” He picked up Derek’s hand and pressed a dry kiss to the knuckles before pulling it over into his lap. “But I definitely approve.” 

Derek would be lying if he said that smiles felt foreign on his face because honestly, he doesn’t remember what it felt like before Stiles. Not anymore. And he’ll be damned if he ever forgets this moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has read/commented/kudo'd! I promise I'll get to responding to your comments soon. I'm THRILLED to see everyone still enjoying this story that I'm having so much fun (and moments of heartache) writing.   
> ALSO- this is the last update before finals week officially starts! But I will be back, I promise. There are loose ends to tie up (and maybe a Stiles to tie up. . . or a Derek . . . because reasons).   
> Much love to you all!!!
> 
> Also- if there's a kink you want to see, let me know and I'll do my best to accommodate :)


	15. In Which Stiles Finds Out About Derek's 'Lost Year'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Derek are finally getting in sync, and suddenly someone unexpected (or expected) shows up at the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only beta'd by the author. Any glaring errors/continuity issues, let me know. No triggers as far as I can tell for this chapter.

After almost six months, Stiles’ heats regulated themselves. His first had been the most intense to date, and he was lucky it happened when it did over fall break. The next one happened about six weeks later, but it had been much milder than he anticipated. Gustav told him and Derek to anticipate something like that happening so Derek drove down to LA and, after speaking at length with Deucalion, was able to borrow one of the LA Alpha’s flats for such purposes. Stiles definitely owed the man cupcakes or something. 

There was one day in December over Christmas vacation that hormones raged and Stiles was launched into yet another mini-heat. Derek sulked for a little while, not because he didn’t like being around Stiles, but because he didn’t quite approve of Stiles’ reaction to it. (‘Oh for fuck’s sake! A guy can’t catch a break!’) They both talked with Gustav afterwards due to the abruptness of it and he assured both of them that it was just Stiles’ body acclimatizing, and that normal Omega cycles occurred every four months. He also mentioned a longer, more intense heat once a year right around what Gustav called ‘nature’s mating season’. Given his heat schedule, it wouldn’t happen until Stiles was done with classes for the year sometime in June and would sync up with Derek’s because now that he was mated, HE apparently also got the pleasure of having an Alpha heat. Gustav called it a ‘rut’. Stiles googled it and started laughing because the only videos the internet had were of deer fighting each other for the choice females. The look on Derek’s face had been priceless. Stiles very eloquently reminded him that they had a house in the woods with all the necessities they’d need for this ‘intense heat week’. Derek’s mood turned, but he still didn’t like being compared to a buck. (‘Stiles, if you make one more ‘young buck’ comment, I’m going to sprinkle mountain ash in your boxers.’)

Gustav left town to go back to wherever he normally spent his time at about the same time Stiles got ready to go back to school in January, but not before he gave Derek and Stiles more birth control. For Derek he had managed to compound the mixture into a pill form using chemistry and imagination, but he didn’t feel as comfortable doing the same for Stiles since it was a more potent combination. Stiles didn’t really mind as long as it kept him off the ‘pregnant college student’ list. Gustav also left instructions for Stiles concerning his magic since he had decided to work towards developing it. Stiles wasn’t quite ready to broach the subject with Derek yet considering the newness of their relationship; they still had some hurdles to clear before life was all ‘sunshine and daisies’. 

Like picking out an apartment for next year. 

Yeah, Stiles thought as he packed a box into his new Jeep, courtesy of Derek after his old one mysteriously disappeared. Picking out an apartment together is going to be a picnic.

\- - - - - 

Spring semester was almost over and Stiles was packing up his room in preparation for moving out of his dorm and moving in to the apartment Derek just signed a lease on a few days ago. The original apartment complex close to campus ended up being sold to another group of college students who offered more than the original asking price, effectively cutting Derek out and not telling him until mid-March when they had wanted him to sign the lease and write the check. Derek was furious, but it also gave Stiles the opportunity to show him other apartments he’d found that were a little further away but had a direct bus route if he didn’t feel like walking. They took a weekend to check out the three they had narrowed it down to and settled on one with more floorspace, a better master bathroom, and a balcony that didn’t face a wall. It was about the same price as their initial choice (the only real downside was the fact it was further away from campus) so Derek didn’t even waste time before writing a check and signing the lease. 

When the landlord left, they may or may not have had sex in the kitchen. But hey, it was officially their place.

As Stiles was taping the last box shut, Josh knocked on his door and walked in, chemistry books in tow. 

“Just one more exam, man. One more and then we’re done.” He looked around at the neat boxes stacked against the wall. “I can’t believe you’re moving in with Derek. It seems rather fast.”

“It’s really not. Most of our friends, including my dad, actually thought it would happen sooner. He’s already got a job as a T.A. for the English department, and an internship/job at a architectural contracting company downtown. He’s even signed up for a couple of engineering and business classes on campus. I couldn’t tell him no even if I wanted to, because I definitely don’t want to. At all.” He straightened out and grabbed his backpack. “Did you wanna study here or at the cafe? I could use some coffee.”

Josh sighed. “It’s just going to be weird not having you around all the time.” He shifted from one foot to the other. “Can we come visit?”

Stiles laughed. “Of course, dude! I’m not on lockdown just because my boyfriend and I are moving in together.”

“I know, it’s just… He seems like the possessive type and I just don’t want to see you end up in a bad way.”

The way Josh said it made Stiles stop and scent the anxiety. Obviously Josh had had someone in his life be mistreated within a relationship and didn’t want to see the same thing happen to Stiles. He turned to his friend and rested a hand on his shoulder. 

“Josh, I promise, everything’s fine.” He did his best to send waves of calm toward him. “If anything does happen, I know I have friends I can count on.”

Sensing the tension leave Josh’s body, he patted his one last time before heading for the door. “Now come on, let’s blow this chem exam out of the water.”

\- - - - - 

Lucas, Darcy, Lindsay, Josh, and Stiles passed all their exams, ending the semester and the year with happy hour at their favorite bar. Stiles decided he hated werewolf metabolism and spent most of the night trying to figure out how to get his own brand of wolfsbane-laced alcohol without Derek having a cow. Pretending to be drunk was nowhere near as exciting as actually being drunk.

\- - - - -   
Beginning of June  
\- - - - - 

Stiles rarely shifted. 

The occasions he did were marked by high stress/anxiety, training purposes, heat dazes, or when he and Derek felt like being particularly rough in bed and he lost himself in the moment. 

Stiles did not like to shift unless a need existed. Or his body was so overwhelmed, it triggered a phase that he quickly gathered under his control.

Derek on the other hand, he enjoyed shifting whenever he and Stiles were alone. He would spend hours furry faced and fanged out, wandering around in nothing but loose sweatpants, bare feet moving soundlessly across the floors. 

Stiles loved it. He would run his hand through the thick hair on his head, bury his nose into his neck and simply breathe. Derek occasionally would ask Stiles to join him if he felt particularly cuddlesome, but for the most part, Stiles liked staying human and that was ok with everyone. 

Stiles rarely shifted. Control was everything. 

Until the day a petite Omega showed up in Beacon Hills asking about Derek.

\- - - - - 

Stiles was going to be sick. He wanted to rip something apart and then he was going to be sick. 

There is a time for secrets: holidays, proposals, surprise parties, pregnancy results. 

And there is a time for honesty: pregnancy results, cheating, secret second lives, what your boyfriend did in New York when he was gone for a year before he became your boyfriend and you became a werewolf because of magic and hormones and destiny. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose, tampering down the desire to rip apart the small Omega standing less then ten feet away from him. The only thing stopping him was the fact Isaac stood at his left anchoring him down with a heavy hand on his shoulder. Scott stood at his right but his breathing wasn’t really helping the situation. Derek stood like a statue. Stiles really wanted to kill him. Slowly. 

Stiles needed to remember to breathe. 

The Omega (he thinks her name was Cyndi or Cynthia) showed up almost demanding to speak to Derek, who came out of the kitchen with a pale face. And Stiles knew. He knew this had something to do with the time Derek spent in New York City but it was the rising tension in the loft that threatened to make him lose his mind. He listened as the Omega talked, mostly toward Derek but eyeing Stiles warily, like the realization was dawning on her. 

“Stiles.” Peter’s voice rang loud and clear amidst the rushing in his ears. “His name, is Stiles.”

The small Omega shifted on her small feet (left, right, left, right) drawing Stiles’ attention to how stupid UGG boots looked with shorts on. He started to open his mouth to say so, but Peter spoke again.

“So, tell us why you are here. But with less drama this time.”

“Yes, please. Tell us why you decided to show up in those ridiculous boots in sunny California.”

Isaac’s grip tightened. “Stiles…”

“I want to talk to Derek.”

Stiles stepped forward, feelings his skin itch with a shift and his eyes glowing. “Well, you don’t get to talk to Derek! You get to talk to his mate!” He snarled. 

“I should have been his mate!”

Stiles stopped dead in his tracks, eyes flashing and electricity crackling in the air. 

\- - - - - 

Derek never wanted to see the murderous look on Stiles’ face as he snarled before turning on his heel and withdrawing himself from the room. What threw him most were Stiles’ eyes. Shifted, Stiles’ eyes turned gold, but this time they turned a deep blood orange shade. They weren’t red like Derek’s or Scott’s, but it definitely took him by surprise. He could only imagine how Cynthia felt; he could smell her abject fear from the hall and Isaac and Scott’s anxiety as they watched her.

Derek met her when he first got to New York and moved in with Cora. Cora introduced him to her pack and things went from there. Cynthia was young and inexperienced, wanting to know about the world and life in general. Her parents and the pack Alpha, Jared, indulged her desire to spend time with the ‘outsider’ only because he was Cora’s older brother and he reassured them he had nothing but good intentions. He slept with her a few times, only to be plagued with guilt about it. He’d broken down to Cora, who didn’t judge his actions, but she did insist he make sure Cynthia didn’t end up pregnant. He’d also informed Jared despite having mixed feelings about the whole thing. Jared had been understanding and took it upon himself to inform Cynthia’s parents no bonding had taken place. Derek still felt shitty about the whole thing. 

He hadn’t expected this to follow him to Beacon Hills. 

And he certainly hadn’t expected her to ask for ‘asylum’ from her own pack because she was pregnant. Derek knew it was not his. Had not a doubt in his mind that she was carrying another man’s child, but still. 

He wanted to call Cora. He wanted to pull Stiles close to him and reassure him. He wanted to go back in time and tell Stiles everything from the beginning. He wanted to take back everything he’d done. 

He was naive to think it would all go away on its own. 

Peter came into the kitchen, his shadow looming over Derek’s frame. 

“He’s calmed down some, but I think you need to tell him everything. Right now.” There was no room for argument in Peter’s voice. Derek may be the head Alpha, but Peter’s words held more weight than any of Derek’s ever could in this situation. 

“Do you think he will listen?” He asked, just as Stiles came into his line of sight.

Stiles leveled Derek with his eyes, back to their normal brown. “I’m sending Peter, Scott, Lydia, and Deaton to New York City to return this Omega to her proper Alpha.” His eyes shifted to Peter, and, as if on cue, Scott, Isaac, and Cynthia emerged at the other kitchen entrance. “You leave mid-morning tomorrow. I already booked flights and called Deaton and Lydia. They will meet you at the airport. I also called the NYC Alpha and let him know the situation. He’ll meet you, personally.” Stiles’ eyes landed on Cynthia. 

“This was not a Beacon Hills pack problem, but you officially made it one. Derek left New York to come back to Beacon Hills. There were other venues of contact should you have felt threatened and needing assistance.” He took a step into the kitchen, eyes flashing their blood-red hue. “Give my pack trouble, you will regret everything.”

Derek stood, the mute statue as it were, between Stiles and the rest of the pack. Sending Lydia would definitely make Cynthia second-guess any nonsense she might attempt, but also put her at ease in the presence of another female.

Scott stepped forward. “I can take her to my house in the meantime, if that’s acceptable.”

\- - - - - 

Stiles ignored the spike in Derek’s heart as he contemplated the proposal. It would get her out of the loft, but not far out of sight. He trusted Scott, especially since Allison and Isaac would both be around. 

“Ok. Thank you, Scott. And please thank Melissa.”

Scott bowed his head and turned his head, bearing his neck almost imperceptibly. That took Stiles by surprise, moreso than the young Omega’s sudden appearance. 

Before he could overthink the action and his reaction, he turned his attention to the rest of the pack. “Isaac, I trust you can fill Allison in. Erica and Boyd are on vacation, so I wouldn’t think to trouble them with this right now. We can fill them in when they get back. Everyone go and get ready, and get some rest.”

“I think I’m going to stop by Chris’ house. Be back in a few hours.” Peter slid out of the room before anyone could say anything to the contrary. Once everyone filed out, with Cynthia casting one last look toward Derek (who hadn’t moved) and Stiles, he turned his attention to his mate. 

“Anything else I should know? Is someone else going to walk through that door?”

\- - - - - 

Derek let out a long breath. He told Stiles everything. About Cora, about what happened in New York City, anything he could think of that Stiles wasn’t already aware of, and then some. Stiles didn’t move from where he stood and didn’t turn his head to look at Derek. The tension in his shoulders slowly melted away to the point Derek felt as though he could move towards him. 

“Stiles… I’m sorry. I never thought this would come back. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how without bringing Cora into it and she just isn’t ready-“

“Don’t hide behind your sister, Derek. I understand her reasoning for wanting to stay out of Beacon Hills though, kind of like your continuing to come back to it. But this girl, this you could have told me. Did you think I would leave you? Or hold it against you? We were both in bad places, but its slowly worked itself out. And now I feel like we’ve taken ten steps back to our five steps forward.”

The tension gave way to sadness: a dull weight resting on the back of his tongue filling his mouth with a sour taste. 

“Please… Stiles…” Derek reached out to rest a hand on the back of Stiles’ neck and pull him close. He needed to feel Stiles’ body against his, needed his mate to forgive him. 

But Stiles moved away. “I need to know you aren’t keeping other things from me, Derek. I can’t feel like there are other things you aren’t telling me. My life to you so far has been an open book, even when I wanted to keep things from you as a human.”

Derek felt the floor falling out from beneath him as he struggled to find the words to make Stiles understand. 

“I’m going to my dad’s. I’ll…” He stopped, turning his head toward Derek. “It isn’t so much the fact you kept secrets, it’s the fact that it was your sister who convinced you to come back. Someone who’s never met me, who only had bad memories of this place, convinced you to come back here. Would you still be there if she hadn’t pushed you out the door?”

The door closed behind Stiles’ retreating figure, and Derek found himself crumbling onto the cold floor watching him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arguably the MOST DIFFICULT CHAPTER I have had to write for this. And its not even the longest one. But now that this is settled, hopefully the rest will fall into place more easily. Only three more chapters (I think) to go, guys.  
> Gratuitous thanks for all those who have continued to poke/prod for more.


	16. In Which The Air Is Cleared, Offenses Are Forgiven, and Make-Up Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But I don’t want to be responsible for it, Scott. I just- we were kids once. And suddenly we weren’t. Suddenly, there were people in danger and lives to protect. Werewolves, vampires, ghosts, demons, witches, all that shit we used to tell stories about ended up being real. There was a time when all we really had to worry about was what people did to other people, not what the supernatural could do to people. Sometimes, I want to go back to that ignorance. I want to go back to that night when you were bitten and redo everything. I want normalcy, Scott. Now, our version of normal is not having paranormal shit to deal with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am the FUCKING QUEEN of abnormal irregular updates. 
> 
> First- I don't think I can apologize enough for not updating this sooner. This fic is hard as fuck to write. Or was. I got my shit together over this long-ass break since school was cancelled due to snow. Instead of lesson plans, I wrote this smut. 
> 
> Second- Thank you to all of those who have stayed with me throughout this irregular process. It is going to get finished, and now that I jumped over the most difficult hurdle, I feel confident I can get this done. So thanks :D
> 
> Third- This isn't edited so grammar errors and such are my own. I had to go back and reread all 55k+ words to make sure I stayed consistent. My normal editor is currently not around so I did a quick once-over before posting because I just wanted to get it up. But rest assured, it will be finished. 
> 
> I didn't add any additional tags/trigger warnings because I don't think there's anything extra to add. But if you find something I should add, let me know.

Stiles’ dad didn’t say anything when he came home later that day, but Stiles could tell that someone (probably Melissa, after talking with Scott), filled him in on the situation. Stiles had been sitting in the backyard with a half eaten plate of lasagna, staring into nothing. His dad just stared at him with what felt like sorrow before retreating into the house. Stiles had no doubt he would go over to Melissa’s house tonight, if only to give Stiles his space. 

Not that he really wanted space. 

He just wanted to be a regular kid with regular college responsibilities. 

He thought about how much all their lives changed over the course of the last few years. They were still kids, all of them. Isaac’s life had been a shitfest until Derek found him, Allison’s life was different from the get-go, Erica suffered from seizures and was a social outcast, Stiles had been an overactive teen with a penchant for getting into trouble, Scott was a normal teenage boy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, Lydia had been the most popular coveted girl at school, and Jackson… well, was Jackson. None of them technically asked for any of it. All of them should be angsting about college and girls (and/or boys).

It would be pitiful to say it wasn’t fair. Things are what they are. 

The breeze picked up a little bit and Stiles’ let his shoulders slag a little more. 

He didn’t know who he should be angry at, or if anyone deserved being the target of his anger. Derek perpetually lived on the edge of screwing up, that wasn’t a new thing. Stiles understood why Cora wanted nothing to do with Beacon Hills, and he was indebted to her for pushing Derek back. Clearly she saw something that Derek had chosen to shut out. If he was honest with himself, Cynthia didn’t know any better. 

“Werewolf or not, you’ll get wrinkles if you keep that face up.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing, Scott.”

“Fair enough.” He pulled up another seat close to Stiles and eyed the lasagna. “Are you going to finish that?”

Stiles barked a laugh. “It’s been out here for at least an hour. You might wanna-“ He didn’t get to finish before Scott started digging in. “Suit yourself.”

They sat in silence until Scott finished the lasagna and put the plate back on the small table. 

“I think you handled everything incredibly well. I don’t blame you for being upset with Derek, but I’d also understand if you were angry with the rest of us. We never really talked about it, everything that happened during the time Derek was gone.”

Stiles sighed, but didn’t say anything. It wasn’t really a conversation he wanted to have, but Scott was his best friend. Given all the revelations though, he didn’t blame Scott for wanting to clear all the air between them. They sat in silence again, listening to the world around them. Scott’s heartbeat was a steady thrum in the foreground; he found himself wondering if it was always that way.

“Your heartbeat doesn’t stutter anymore; well, not the way it used to. I always thought you were going to have a heart attack sometimes, because of how erratic your heart beat. Every now and then it does a catch, but that’s typically when Derek is around. His kind of does the same thing, but it’s done it for as long as you two have known each other. His has just faded into the background.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

Now it was Scott’s turn to sigh; Stiles smelled a little anxiety, but it might have been him. 

“I guess what I’m trying to say is that Derek has always…cared about you. Nothing he’s done has been to hurt you intentionally. So the man makes poor decisions, we all know this. He’s impulsive, but strategic when it counts. I’m not saying what he did was right, but what other choice did he have really? I wasn’t, and am still not, ready to be a pack Alpha. It’s not something I want. I think Peter would be a good Alpha, but given his past and his tendencies, I don’t imagine that working out very well.

“Peter’s… He has a hard time translating his actions into good deeds. His moral compass is a little skewed, but I can’t really fault him for that. We are the creations of our environments and our pasts. The Hale family has had a shitty past, and had a dim future for a while.” Scott’s voice got softer. “That’s changing though, it has changed, and you’re responsible for a lot of it.”

“But I don’t want to be responsible for it, Scott. I just- we were kids once. And suddenly we weren’t. Suddenly, there were people in danger and lives to protect. Werewolves, vampires, ghosts, demons, witches, all that shit we used to tell stories about ended up being real. There was a time when all we really had to worry about was what people did to other people, not what the supernatural could do to people. Sometimes, I want to go back to that ignorance. I want to go back to that night when you were bitten and redo everything. I want normalcy, Scott. Now, our version of normal is not having paranormal shit to deal with.”

The breeze picked up a little more and Stiles closed his eyes. 

“You remember Sam and Dean?”

“Yea. Who could forget those two?”

“Allison was having a hard time coping with everything, and they basically said the same thing you did. Their lives were always different; started hunting from the time they were kids. Their dad, well, let’s just say he didn’t believe in censoring the reality of the world. Sam got out, for a short time. But there’s only so long that someone can live in that kind of bubble.”

Stiles listened; he knew some of the Winchester story, but not all of it. They lived the hunter life, so Stiles believed they were just well-adjusted. He started to feel a little guilty about his complaints. 

“Don’t feel guilty, dude. It’s not like they advertise their lives. They’ve been doing it so long that it’s second nature. For them, normal is the life they have. You and me, we got pushed into it later in life so its ‘normal’ for us to have a period of adjustment. You, most of all. Just… don’t shut us out, least of all me. I fucked up in not keeping you in the loop, and you suffered for it. If anyone should feel guilty, it’s me. We all make mistakes, we’re not perfect, but that doesn’t negate the fact that I let you suffer in silence.”

Stiles felt heat behind his eyes and a warm hand come to rest on his shoulder. He let his head fall into his hands and let the tears fall.

\- - - - - 

Stiles drove everyone to the airport in the morning. Peter and Scott had the situation under control. He’d shown up at Deaton’s with Scott earlier than everyone else. The night before, Scott told him about how his eyes shifted color from the typical amber. Deaton wasn’t surprised, given everything else that happened with Stiles, he figured it was the fact he was an Alpha mate and an emissary. But, to put everyone’s mind at ease, he would research it, but he wouldn’t worry. Cynthia kept her distance, and Stiles didn’t blame her. Now that the initial rage had left, he could smell the pregnancy, and her fear. It wasn’t Derek’s, not that he doubted that fact. The whole situation was like a tactical shitstorm. He’d called the NY Alpha (Jared), and let him know his people were on the way. Scott and Peter were in charge. Everything was going to be okay. 

After everyone boarded the plane, he stayed and waited for it to take off. He knew Derek was at the loft, but he procrastinated in returning, wandering around the airport and people-watching. He texted his dad and told him everything was good to go, and that he wouldn’t be coming back to the house right away. 

He texted Derek and told him the same thing. He wanted to go see him, or meet him somewhere. Now that most everyone was gone, it would just be the two of them. They could sort this out. After talking (and crying) with Scott the night before, he felt infinitely better. Not 100 percent, but closer to it than rock bottom. 

Do you want to go running? It was the safest option, and they would be in the open. Fresh air was good.

He only had to wait a minute before the response came.

Yes.

I’ll meet you by the house in about an hour.

His phone chimed almost instantly: his dad.

Melissa and I are staying in tonight at her place. Stay safe.

Will do. Thanks, dad.

Derek texted back right after.

Okay.

\- - - - - 

Stiles showed up at the house to find Derek waiting for him on the front steps. A sharp sensation burned in his chest when he realized that since Derek had come back, most of their encounters had some underlying sorrow and anxiety, mostly from Derek’s end. This realization intensified his own; they were in this together. He was under no illusion that being Derek’s mate would be an easy thing, but this was bordering on ridiculous. They were supposed to be each other’s anchor, the support, the better half. 

He removed the groceries he’d brought out of the backseat and made his way toward the house. Without prompting, Derek took some of the bags and together they put them away in silence. On the drive over, Stiles remembered his annual ‘issue’ was coming up. His shot was due tomorrow. Nerves all around were on edge in general. All this other stuff happened. 

When it rains, it pours. 

When everything was put away, Stiles turned to face Derek. 

“I-“

“Don’t. Not yet. Just-“ He stepped forward and pulled Derek into him. The anxiety dissipated, along with the underlying tension. Derek sagged into him as his face rubbed along Stiles’ neck. Stiles breathed in deep, feeling the pull and pushing back against it. He let his hands drag down Derek’s arms before sliding underneath his shirt and touching bare skin. Derek pushed in even further, letting his own hands dip under Stiles’ clothes, keeping his face attached to his neck. 

“I don’t like being away from you,” he whispered. “I meant what I said before: my life has been an open book to you from day one. I tried to keep things from you in the beginning, but it’s impossible. Don’t keep things from me, Derek. Even if you think it’s going to hurt me; I’d rather hear it from you than someone else.”

The grip around his body got tighter, and he felt Derek shudder. 

“We’re in this together, you and me. And the rest of the pack. It’s not going to be perfect, and I think we both realize that. But I also think that as long as we accept it, things won’t be as rocky.”

“Stiles…”

“Don’t apologize for what’s already happened, for the things we can’t change. Despite everything that’s happened, there’s really nowhere else I’d rather be right now. And I hope you feel the same way, Der.”

He removed his hands from under Derek’s shirt and slid them into his hair, pulling his face up to his own. Derek’s eyes were red-rimmed and Stiles’ neck felt a little damp. When he opened his mouth to speak, Stiles caught it with a soft kiss. 

“You’re it for me, sourwolf. I told you this once already. Endgame, remember?”

“I am sorry, Stiles. For not telling you everything.”

“I get it about Cora; she deserves her privacy. I would like to meet her one day though. When she’s ready.”

Derek caught his mouth in another kiss, just as soft and just as chaste. 

They stood in the kitchen, silent and nearly motionless, save for roaming hands and patient mouths. Stiles began to feel a little heated under his skin and pulled away slightly. 

“We’re a pair, aren’t we?”

Derek chuckled, brushing his nose against Stiles’ before pulling back.

“I think everyone was saying that from the start.”

Stiles shrugged. “Doesn’t make it any less true.” He glanced out the window and noticed the sun sinking in the sky. “You wanna go for that run now? We can come back here and cuddle later, and you can feed me.”

“I think I can do that,” Derek said, stripping off his shirt and making his way outside. 

“There was a time when you shirtless intimidated me,” Stiles responded, removing his own shirt and following Derek outside. 

“Oh yea? I hadn’t noticed.” Derek’s grin was lecherous to say the least. 

Stiles narrowed his eyes. “You’re not completely out of the woods. No pun intended.”

Derek’s grin didn’t disappear, but Stiles hadn’t really expected it to. In fact, Derek stepped closer into Stiles’ space, radiating heat. “I can spend the rest of the night making it up to you.”

Stiles’ eyebrow arched, determined not give ground. “Just tonight?”

“The rest of my life. And then some.”

Before Stiles could respond, Derek took off into the fading light. 

\- - - - - 

Back at the house, the warmth brewing under Stiles’ skin hadn’t really dissipated the way he imagined it would after the run. His bag had the contraceptive shot in it, and he’d set his timer for tomorrow morning. He wanted to do it now so he could just get it over with, but he didn’t want to mess up the timetable. Or take any unnecessary risks. 

Scott had called an hour ago, just as he and Derek were getting back, to let him know they had arrived and were settled in. Peter was actually a damn good diplomat, and the Beta wolf who got Cynthia pregnant confessed the second everyone came together. They had been invited to stay an additional two days as a goodwill gesture. After letting Derek know, they both decided it wouldn’t be a bad thing to accept their gesture. Scott skirted around the issue of Cora, and Stiles put his ill-ease at rest by giving him the Cliff’s Notes. Stiles could swear he smelled the relief through the phone. Lydia was going out with Cora and Peter, and Scott was going to hang around and just enjoy the brief vacation. He said Deaton met a particularly intriguing warlock (apparently all packs had one, it was like some kind of unwritten rule) so he was spending most of his time “swapping recipes” as Scott put it. 

Stiles decided it was a good time to tell Derek about his “extracurricular studies” and his talk with Gustav about his Spark. Derek was all for it, so that conversation went better than expected. He also told him about the eye-color thing and how Deaton was going to look into it. Derek, like Deaton, wasn’t surprised although at the time it happened it was a shock. 

Everything felt good, at peace. 

Then his stomach growled. 

“I was almost hoping that you turning would DECREASE your metabolism.”

Stiles looked up from his laptop. “How would that even make sense?”

“You’re lucky I have a vast bank account, otherwise you’d eat me out of house and home.”

It was Stiles’ turn to return the lecherous grin from earlier. “I’d eat you alright, but it wouldn’t affect our living arrangements.”

Derek flushed, but didn’t falter. “Eat your actual food first, then we can talk about eating other things.”

Stiles couldn’t bring himself to argue, but the warmth spread even further and deeper. Before Derek could dig into his own plate, Stiles leaned across the mountain of pillows to lick into his mate’s mouth. “I love you.”

The angle was weird, and both their hands were full, but Derek returned the kiss with enthusiasm. “I love you too, Sti.” 

\- - - - - 

Over the course of the week, the warmth under Stiles’ skin graduated to a slow burn. At first, he wanted to blame the proximity to Derek. Then, he wanted to blame the California sun in conjunction with the proximity to Derek. Then he gave up the pretense all together when Derek began pacing around like a caged animal, shedding an entire ozone of hormones into the air every time Stiles stood a little too close. 

Stiles opened his mouth to say something but Derek cut him off.

“Don’t even make the comment I know you’re about to make.” 

Stiles shut his mouth with a click and chewed on his lower lip. His alarm went off. Time for his shot. Full moon was in two days. Stiles bet everything his annual heat and Derek’s rut would start as soon as the moon rose. He had a vague idea of what to expect on his end, but Derek was another story. He banked that Scott would have to make himself pretty scarce around Stiles, being another Alpha and all. 

As if on cue, his phone rang. Scott.

“Hey man, what’s up?”

“Wanna come over and play video games?” That was code for “Allison is out of town with her parents.” Some things never changed.

“Yea man, what time?”

“In like an hour, mom’s going to work and I need to clean up around here a little bit. Everything smells like your dad.”

Stiles grimaced a little. “I don’t need details. Wait, why aren’t we going to play at your apartment? You know, the one you got with Allison?”

Scott sighed. “Everything smells like her.”

Well, THAT was depressing. “It smells like pine trees over here, Scott. You know, because of all the pining. I bet she hasn’t even been gone twelve hours.”

“It’s been a day.”

“I stand corrected. But yea, I’ll be over in an hour. Munchies?”

“The usual.”

“Cool, see ya then.”

He hung up only to find Derek staring at him. “Seriously?”

“Don’t even start. Support system, as it was and ever shall be.”

Since Scott and everyone got back from New York, everything felt more relaxed. Jared was a lot more understanding than anyone, even his own pack, gave him credit for. He was well within his rights to want to ban Cynthia and the offending Beta, but negotiations within his pack went rather well. Cynthia would keep the child, and the Beta would support her and the child. The child was pack, regardless of circumstances. Both would be under probation (whatever that meant, Stiles didn’t feel like asking). If anything, the bond between the packs was stronger. Jared felt no ill-will towards Derek, but he was clear when he stated he would prefer Derek not plan any trips to New York any time soon, without his mate. As much as Stiles wanted to visit, he felt no pressing desire to show up any time soon. Cora did pass along that she would be making a trip out to Beacon Hills in the near future. Overall, the chaos everyone imagined didn’t occur. And Deaton came back with a few new spells, and Lydia with a few new handbags and shoes. 

He stood up to put his plate in the dishwasher, brushing Derek’s chest and getting a low growl in return.

A shiver made its way down Stiles’ spine. He didn’t intentionally bend over at the right angle, nor did he intentionally let his sweats ride lower on his hips. 

“If you wanted a quickie, Der, all you had to do was ask.” He smirked over his shoulder, but quickly dropped all pretense of being coy when he saw Derek’s eyes. The slow burn became a pricking heat down his spine; he whined as Derek’s hands came up to grip his waist. He didn’t have to smell the arousal to know Derek had been on the edge most of the morning, the insistent hard-on pressing against his jeans and into Stiles’ ass. 

His breathe caught when Derek nipped down on his exposed shoulder. “Shot first,” he gasped. “Just give me two seconds.”

Derek sucked hard on his shoulder before letting him go, shoving his jeans down just enough to get his cock free and a hand around the base. Stiles whined as he stared at the growing flush on Derek’s chest, his own erection desperate for attention. He tore his eyes away to go into the bedroom and find his kit to measure out the dose. The stuff still tasted nasty, and smelled worse, but it was a necessary thing. He disposed of the needle and removed his own pants before making his way back into the kitchen. Derek caught him in the doorway and pushed him back onto the bed, two fingers in his ass and tongue in his mouth. 

Stiles should have been embarrassed at how his legs spread and his body arched up into Derek’s. The vibrations from Derek’s chest caused a rush of slick to coat Derek’s hand and he added another finger. Stiles moved to roll over and present, but Derek held him down. 

“Like this, want to watch. Want to-“

Stiles wrapped one leg around Derek’s jean-clad thigh and pulled him down, their erections rubbing together and creating a sweet friction. 

“Then come on, stop teasing. Quickies are supposed to be quick.” He was already breathless and they hadn’t even gotten very far. This felt like a preview of what was in store for them later. The burn got hotter, and Derek’s skin wasn’t helping. Sweat was already soaking into the bedsheets. Stiles’ skin was oversensitive. His nails dug into Derek’s back as his other leg wrapped around Derek’s hip and pushed up harder. A steady stream of precome leaked from Derek’s cock onto his stomach.

All at once, Derek pulled back and removed his fingers from inside Stiles, wrapping them around his own cock and slicking it. Stiles felt drunk with arousal; he could make out the beginnings of Derek’s knot. 

Before he could tell Derek to just fuck him already, he surged forward, capturing both of Stiles’ wrists in his hands and nudging his cock against Stiles’ slick hole. 

“Say it.”

So this was how they were going to play. 

“Derek… Come on.”

He was rewarded, or punished, with Derek nudging a little further before pulling back again. Stiles was vibrating out of his skin. 

“Say it.”

He swallowed air as Derek did it again, teased him with the head of his cock barely enough to get Stiles’ heart rate skyrocketing. It was starting to hurt, how turned on he was, how good it felt to have Derek pining him down, still wearing his jeans while Stiles was completely naked.

“Mate me.”

Derek groaned and pushed deeper. But not deep enough.

“Breed me.” His legs pulled in, urging Derek’s body to rock further into Stiles’. 

He leaned up and licked a wet stripe up Derek’s neck and over his ear. 

“Give me your knot. Alpha.”

Derek had more self-control than Stiles gave him credit for. He pushed in slowly before Stiles finished getting the words out, rocking into him into a way he definitely hadn’t expected given the urgency from earlier. It sent a shockwave through his system and all he wanted was to get his arms around Derek’s back and pull him deeper. He whined and pushed back, and Derek released, catching Stiles’ mouth. One arm slid between Stiles and the mattress while the other gripped his hip and tilted it up, pushing him impossibly deeper. 

They were too close, not a centimeter of space between them. The air was stifling with arousal and heat; sweat poured off their bodies; Stiles couldn’t catch his breath and Derek couldn’t quite catch his either. Derek’s knot was catching against his rim and his whines turned into frantic moans. His own cock was caught between their bodies, the ridges of Derek’s abs rubbing the thick vein on the underside just right. He wanted to scream for Derek to go faster, harder, wanted his release so much it hurt to go this slowly. 

But Derek dragged it out. They stopped kissing and just breathed into each other’s mouths. 

“Derek… I’m gonna… I need to-“

One hard thrust against Stiles’ prostate sent him over the edge, his release pulsing between them. It went on forever; he registered Derek’s claws digging into his hip and his thrusts became almost wild as he chased his own release. Stiles couldn’t stop the words pouring out of his mouth: how much he loved Derek, wanted to be bred, couldn’t wait for his heat, wanted everything Derek had to give him, to please fill him up, wanted to feel his knot for days. He let one hand slide down Derek’s back and tease the cleft of his ass. Desperate whimpers left Derek’s mouth as his knot flared. 

“D-Do it…”

Stiles let his hand slide further and his middle finger teased Derek’s asshole, pressing down but not enough to push in.

That was enough to push Derek over the edge and he came with a feral growl, latching on to Stiles’ shoulder and biting down hard. Stiles could taste iron and wet heat in his mouth, felt a haze settle over both of them as Derek filled him up with his seed. He felt his eyes flash as his head fell back and he let himself go.

\- - - - - 

He had to call Scott and let him know he would be late. 

When Scott pouted, Stiles told him it was late or smelling like a sex factory. 

Scott stopped pouting.

\- - - - - 

“Your pining is making me forlorn. She’ll be back in four days.”

“Your sex life is making me pine.”

Stiles grimaced. “I don’t want my sex life to be involved in your sex life.”

“It didn’t seem to be a problem the first time you-“

“Finish that sentence and I will end your life.”

Before Scott could respond, Stiles carried out a perfectly executed headshot. 

“As I was saying.”

\- - - - - 

It happened in the check-out line at the grocery store. Stiles knew it was cutting it close to do some last minute shopping. He woke up feeling like a walking furnace and his skin was stretched too tight over his body. He felt like he was constantly leaking slick (“It feels so GROSS! This wasn’t in the handbook!”) and Derek had been a walking hard-on since the other day. 

They both managed to keep themselves in check for the past two days, although Jackson (who came back for the full moon) narrowly escaped a very feral Derek when he made a comment about the pheromones. He and Lydia were officially over. Lydia was spending most, if not all, of her free time in the lab at Stanford. Jackson ended up with a spot on England’s Southern League for lacrosse, and he also played amateur rugby. Stiles suspected he wanted everyone to be surprised, but really, Jackson and contact sports went hand in hand. But still, Stiles was happy for him. He and Lydia still talked and spent time together whenever they happened to be in the same place, but all hope of them ending up together forever fell away. 

Stiles was paying for his groceries and it felt like he’d been hit by a ball of fire. The man at the counter nearly panicked when he saw the sweat pouring down Stiles’ face and his skin flush. 

“Are you alright, man? Do I need to call an ambulance or something?”

Stiles shook his head and handed over his card. “No, I just gotta…get home.”

He barely made it to his car before he whipped out his phone and called Derek. Who wasn’t answering his phone. Who showed up right next to Stiles. 

“I can’t drive.”

He wanted to pass out. Or bend over. Or just get naked. He didn’t realize he was clawing at his shirt and trying to mouth at Derek’s neck until he was pushed into the passenger seat. 

“Der… Der… Fuck, it’s too hot. I need to…” He shoved his hand into his pants and gripped his cock. Cold air blasted from the vents and it felt like a miracle. He struggled to pull off his shirt, but couldn’t be bothered to take his hand out of his pants. He glanced over at Derek with glazed eyes and saw him white-knuckling the steering wheel. They had to be breaking the speed limit. Stiles didn’t care. 

“I wanna suck your cock.” He reached over but Derek stopped him. 

“Do that and we’ll crash. Just… wait. Please. We’re almost at the house.”

They had to really be breaking some kind of traffic law because when Stiles turned his head to look out the window, they were already on the road to the house. He doubted the groceries would make it inside. At least he hadn’t bought ice cream. 

When they pulled up, Derek barely managed to turn off the car before Stiles was crawling into his lap desperate for contact. 

“Not here, can’t here, not enough space-“

Stiles whined high and loud. Derek pushed him back against the steering wheel and wrapped a clumsy hand around Stiles’ cock, now sticking out of his jeans. He barely had a second to remember how that happened before he came all over Derek’s hand and his shirt. 

It was just enough to take the edge off, but now he felt more aware of the ache inside him. And the sound of the horn blaring. 

Derek looked absolutely wrecked. 

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”

Derek laughed and pulled Stiles down off the horn. “When do things ever go the way we plan them?”

“Point taken. Now let’s get inside, or at least out of the car so you can fuck me proper.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I left it at a rather . . . . untimely spot, but I didn't want to post more than 5k. The subsequent chapter is in editing stages. I feel dirty just thinking about it. 
> 
> As always, criticism (the constructive kind) is love. Thanks again!! :D :D <3


	17. Interlude: July

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Derek go through their annual heat together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically 1.6k words of sex. Its not a proper chapter, more of an interlude. There is no plot development except for sex. 
> 
> Biting kink, submission, multiple orgasms (for Stiles), slightly power-play, dirty talk, come-play. 
> 
> What a way to bring in the New Year. 
> 
> Also- not beta'd by anyone except myself. So errors are definitely mine - running on fumes and red bull at this point.

They didn’t make it inside. At least, not right away. But they did make it out of the car (somewhere in the back of Stiles’ lust-addled brain he was thankful they wouldn’t have to pay to clean the upholstery). Sweat obscured his vision. The burning sensation in Stiles’ body hadn’t really subsided despite the orgasm in the car, and Derek was looking more and more feral the longer it took to get inside the house. 

“Leave the groceries.” Derek growled into Stiles’ neck.

“It’s two bags.” Stiles wasn’t really trying to get to the bags, but the principle of the thing… 

“A minute ago you could care less about the groceries.” _Rip._ That shirt would never be worn again.

“They’ll spoil.” _No one wants spoiled vegetables in the summer heat._

“I can buy more.” 

“That’s terrible logic.” Stiles’ mouth latched itself to the pulse point in Derek’s neck as he carried Stiles up the front steps.

“I have excellent logic.” Derek nearly pulled the door off its hinges trying to get inside. _Home_. “I’m honestly hurt you’re thinking about groceries right now. I must not be doing my job.”

Another wave of heat and pain coursed through Stiles’ body. “This hurts almost as bad as the first time,” he gasped. Getting air into his lungs burned, or maybe that’s because he kept forgetting to breathe. He became vaguely aware of cool sheets against his skin. “Pants… they needed to be off like, days ago.”

There was nothing nice about this time. Unlike his heats of the past when they would whisper (or growl, let’s be honest) all the dirty things they wanted to do to each other, both Derek and Stiles stopped using words all together. They were running on pure fumes and instinct. Derek’s claws dug into Stiles’ sides as he thrust into him; Stiles’ claws gouged marks into the floor, holding on. 

He blocked out every sound save for the ones Derek made behind him; every growl caused heat to pool in his belly. He tried to pick himself up and thrust back, but sharp teeth found his shoulder and bit down hard enough to bring tears to his eyes. It wasn’t until Derek came the first time (and Stiles came two more times), that he was flipped over and moved to a clean area in all the bedding. He mildly objected when Derek dipped his fingers into Stiles’ hole and played with the come leaking out of him, but it only made them both ready for another round, this time with him on his back so he could look at Derek’s face. He did notice that although all of his attention was on Derek, Derek’s head periodically snapped up as if on high alert. 

(Later, Stiles would realize that it was because Derek _was_ on high alert: Stiles and he were in their major heat phase and Derek had to be on alert in case something chanced upon them. Derek was incredibly territorial. It was one thing on any given day, but this was something huge. Both he and Stiles were compromised, if something happened in that moment, with no back-up, he and Stiles would be screwed (for lack of a better word).)

But at the moment, Stiles was completely oblivious to anything except his Alpha rutting away, breeding him, claiming him. To Stiles, nothing mattered as much as Derek. 

“Bite me.”

Stiles’ eyes refocused in the haze. “Huh…?” His hold on Derek’s hips and lower back tightened. A spring coiled in his lower belly; it just needed the right amount of pressure and it would snap.

Derek lifted slightly off Stiles to look into his eyes. His eyes were red. “Bite me.”

Stiles could feel the crackling in the atmosphere around them, like bolts of static electricity. Derek’s thrusts stuttered momentarily before continuing their steady rhythm. He could only imagine how his own eyes looked against Derek’s red ones. 

Thoughts bled into Stiles’ head about what Derek meant: _Bite him how? What? I’ve never…_ One particularly hard thrust stent his eyes rolling back into his head as his own bite mark on his shoulder scraped against the blankets under him.  

“Stiles…” The command became a plea. “Bite me, please…”

Stiles felt his eyes flash and he rolled them both over before the implication settled in his head. Not second-guessing the startled looked on Derek’s face, he leaned down and bit his neck. Derek’s cock pulsed hard inside him and he rocked back and forth, letting his teeth worry the skin at the base of Derek’s neck. He felt his own cock pulsing against Derek’s abdomen as he reached his orgasm, but it was an afterthought. A high pitched whine pierced the hot air, and when Stiles realized it wasn’t coming from him but from _Derek_. He let go of Derek’s neck and let his mouth slide up to his ear. 

“I like the sound of you begging…” The shudder working its way through Derek’s body hadn’t ceased before Stiles’ mouth left his ear in favor of his shoulder and bit down again, harder, letting the metallic tang fill his mouth. He didn’t quite register being flipped onto his back until Derek’s hips began moving frantically, as if he couldn’t chase down his orgasm fast enough, as if he could care less about getting Stiles off. His head felt a little clearer with his orgasm, but he couldn’t stop his mouth from moving. 

“You get off on me being your Omega because I submit to you…” He licked over the fresh bite mark on Derek’s shoulder. He felt the telltale swell of Derek’s knot. Stiles had all but forgotten about his own still-present erection and arousal; the only thing that mattered was Derek. “But I think you would get off even harder if you submitted to me…”

A hard growl forced its way out of Stiles’ chest as Derek’s thrusts ceased any rhythm they had. The swelling of Derek’s knot became more acute and slightly painful, and that spurred Stiles on. 

“That what you want, Der? You want to know what it’s like to submit to your Omega?” He was playing with fire, he knew. But he trusted Derek more than he trusted himself to make smart decisions right now. Stiles’ hand slid through the sweat on Derek’s lower back to the cease of his ass while the other clutched at Derek’s hip; whether it was an anchor for himself or for Derek…

The high pitched whine turned into a keen- Stiles had made that sound himself on some occasions when the pleasure was too acute and too poignant to put a name to. Stiles’ hand dipped deeper between Derek’s ass cheeks. He licked at the bite mark again before taking the hand on Derek’s hip and bringing it up to his black hair. He gripped it tightly and tilted Derek’s flushed face to his own. Their lips were almost touching; Stiles felt his eyes crossing as he desperately tried to keep tethered to this reality. He sensed a similar sensation in Derek; this was new territory for both of them. Fragile to the touch, and also stronger than any material known to man or supernatural being.  

“Stiles…” Derek choked out his name like it hurt him and saved him before crashing his mouth into Stiles’. He needed no further appeal. Two fingers breached Derek’s sweat-slick hole as his knot swelled to its full size, spurting inside Stiles’, desperate to breed him. Stiles’ fingers moved slowly as his own orgasm hit him for the fifth time. He felt it more than he did the four times before, and it seemed like the final veil of haze was cleared from his brain. At least, for the time being. Derek pushed his face against Stiles neck as he pushed back against his fingers. He continued to grind against Stiles, milking the last of Stiles’ cock. 

After Stiles stopped coming and both men caught their breaths, Derek’s cock twitched against inside Stiles and he felt another hot rush. He also felt a wave of embarrassment along with a hot flush against his neck. 

He chuckled softly as he released his death grip on Derek’s hair and removed his fingers from inside him. He did not miss the soft whimper as he ran his hand through Derek’s hair, scratching at his scalp. “NOW you feel some shame?”

A grunt was his response. 

“You’re insufferable.”

Another grunt. An arm wormed its way underneath his lower back and squeezed.

“And amazing.” 

A snuffle against his neck and a squeeze. 

“And intelligent.” Stiles intentionally wiggled his hips. 

A rough moan followed by another hot pulse of come. 

Stiles rolled his hips and turned his mouth toward Derek’s pink-tipped ear. “And sexy…”

A hard thrust and a deep growl.

He was about to roll his hips again when the hand under him gripped him tight and he felt himself being pulled up. Now he straddled Derek’s thighs and he was looking into a very lust-hungry pair of eyes. 

“Pushing buttons… mouthy little Omega…”

Stiles smirked and swiveled his hips in new position, needing to grip Derek’s shoulders with both hands. “YOUR mouthy little Omega.” 

“At this rate, your Alpha’s knot is never going to go down and we’ll be stuck like this forever.” Derek caught Stiles mouth in a soft kiss. 

“And?” Stiles was not impressed with this argument. 

“And…” Derek continued. “I seem to remember a comment about how your Alpha should submit to said mouthy little Omega…” He pulled back slightly, pink coloring his cheekbones and his eyes trained on Stiles’ mouth. 

Stiles froze. 

Derek’s eyes widened slightly and he chanced at look at Stiles’ face. “Unless you-“

Stiles brought his clean hand to Derek’s mouth. “If you keep talking, your knot is never going to go down.”

He could feel Derek’s smirk against his hand. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my sad attempt at redemption for the long hiatus. I am mostly glad the writing issue for this story has somewhat ended, and I feel as though this will get wrapped up in about 2 to 3 more chapters. Thank you for bearing with me. 
> 
> I have seen your comments over the past couple of days; I'm sorry I have not responded. Thank you to everyone who has been with me since the beginning of this incredibly long journey. Comments are always welcome (the good, the great, the not so great, and the ugly too lol). You are all wonderful people and I hold you especially close to my heart.


	18. In Which Sinister Games Are Afoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Stiles move to LA; Deucalion makes a visit to Beacon Hills; Stiles had a minor freakout; Derek has an introspective moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You are all the most wonderful humans on the planet for sticking with me throughout this story. There are about two chapters left in the proper story, with an epilogue following the final chapter. 
> 
> Please forgive grammatical mistakes; I wanted to post this sooner rather than wait. You have been incredibly patient, and supportive, and generally amazing. So thank you. 
> 
> If there is a continuity issue / unclear situation, please let me know and I will edit to clarify. 
> 
> I have taken intense creative liberties with the character of Kali. (And with the whole Teen Wolf storyline to begin with). In my defense, the tags do say 'canon divergence'. I also generally did not like Kali in the series ... so yea. I can be more forgiving of Deucalion (take that as you will.)

School started again too soon.  Derek and Stiles moved in to their new apartment over the course of two weeks.  It was a little further away from campus than Stiles would have liked, but the commute was not terrible and they were about at the midpoint from the water and campus.  There were also a couple of parks within walking distance, so it all worked out pretty well.  Derek got a job as a teaching assistant two days a week for an intro level Western Civs course (‘Since when were you into grading History papers?’ ‘Since that was my focus in undergrad, Stiles… We talked about this.  At length.’) and took engineering and architecture courses when he was not TA-ing.  He talked about interning at a construction firm not too far from their apartment and Stiles had to hit the brakes. 

“We BARELY moved in together and you’re making plans for keeping busy all the time.  The TA thing is great, and the classes are even better, but can the interning somewhere wait a semester?  Get settled and get a routine. Please?”

Derek rolled his eyes but acquiesced.  Overall, things were going pretty well.  The apartment was sparsely decorated as per Derek’s Spartan-like design skills.  If Stiles was truly honest with himself, he would admit he liked the minimalist look.  And they weren’t planning on living in downtown L.A. for the rest of their lives, so the less furniture and excess, the better.  Rather than a sofa in the main room, they decided on large beanbag/floor size pillows.  More comfortable and excellent for afternoon naps.  The one piece of normal furniture they had was a loveseat in the corner, but it was rarely used.  Stiles’ dad came to visit a few times, and that was about the only person who used it. 

After the first few weeks of classes, Derek almost quit being TA because so many of the girls (and some of the guys) kept searching for reasons to talk to him before and after class, and the hormones were rampant.  Stiles fell over himself laughing when he swung by the History building to get Derek for lunch and found him swarmed by underclassmen begging for his ‘assistance’ writing and refining their papers.  After getting a rather pathetic pleading glance in his direction, Stiles saved the day.  

“Sorry kids, gonna steal my boyfriend now.  Gotta keep him fed.”  Stiles winked as he wrapped his arm around Derek’s waist and ushered him away.  Derek’s face was red, and smelled of combined rage and embarrassment.  Stiles took the silence from the crowd as a win. 

“It’s so inappropriate, the constant attention.  I’ve made statements in class and in front of the professor that I’m strictly there to help her, not to be some kind of mentor or stand-in.  I’m going to quit.  Or I’m going to explode on all of them.”

Stiles clicked his tongue.  “And make them cry?  You’d probably get reprimanded if you did that.  If it’s that big an issue, you could go to the professor, or talk to someone in Student Life/Administration; that’s part of their job, right?  To be like HR and make sure their TA’s and professors don’t get harassed by students?”

Derek huffed.  “Yeah…”  He didn’t look convinced.  

“Don’t quit, it means they won.  They’ll get it out of their system, or they won’t.  If it makes you uncomfortable though, seriously, tell the professor.  I’m sure she’s had to deal with situations like yours in the past.  I’d hate for some girl or guy to get the wrong idea and make a claim against you.  The sooner you get it on file that behavior is an issue, the more people will be on your side if something does happen.  And it’s not up to you to deal with alone, ya know.”

Derek stopped walked and looked at Stiles.  It was intense, and Stiles began fidgeting.  “Wha-?”

Stiles found himself wrapped up in Derek’s arms.  “I love you.”  

“I love you too, Derek.”

The moment was shattered by a very audible gurgle from someone’s stomach.  

“Food now, please.”

Laughing, Stiles pulled Derek further away from campus.  “Thai sound good?”

“Thai sounds wonderful.”

 

\- - - - _Meanwhile, back at Beacon Hills_ \- - - - 

 

“Well, well, well… So this is the place Derek calls home.”  Deucalion kicked a pebble in the direction of Derek’s apartment.  

The woman sneered, and the twins said nothing.  They shared a quick glance before looking back at their Alpha.  

“Can we help you?”  Scott stepped out of his car, followed by Boyd, Isaac, and Erica.  

“Do we look like we need help, boy?”  The woman spoke, taking a step forward, positioning herself between Scott and Deucalion.  

“What you look, is lost.  Need help finding your way out of town?”  Erica moved closer behind Scott, flanked by Boyd and Isaac. 

The woman looked about to speak again but Deucalion raised his hand.  “Kali, that is no way to speak to the residents of this town.”  He turned his attention to Scott.  “You must be Scott, Derek has spoken about you and your friends.  His pack, I believe.  Allow me to introduce myself: I am Deucalion, Head Alpha of the Los Angeles pack, and this is Kali, my second, and Ethan and Aiden.”

The twins nodded their heads, but Kali remained still.  

“This is Erica, Boyd, and Isaac.  Stiles and Derek are in L.A..”  He let a pause follow before continuing.  It appeared to fall on him to ask the obvious question. “So why are you here, if you don’t mind my being so blunt?”

Deucalion laughed, a rather unpleasant combination of sounds.  “Well, we are here to introduce ourselves.  I realize Derek would normally be present, but since I heard you, too, are an Alpha, I figured it would be alright.”  Kali’s nostrils flared.  Scott did not like her, and he presumed the feeling was mutual. 

Scott straightened.  “Stiles mentioned you, and the twins.  You play for San Diego, right?”

Aiden’s grin was almost feral.  “Hell yes, I’m looking forward to playing Stiles this year.  He didn’t spend too much time on the field last year, not that I blame him given the new development with his ‘skills’, so we were never on the field at the same time, and damn can he play.  But this year though… this year is going to be good.”  Ethan rolled his eyes.  

The sound of another car pulling up stopped Scott’s response.  

“Hey, felt a rumble in the force.”  Lydia stepped out of her car and made her way over to Scott.  Scott did not miss the way Aiden’s eyes followed her.  

Deucalion stepped forward, Scott felt everyone’s hackles rise at the movement.  He locked eyes with Lydia and took her hand, pressing a brief kiss to her knuckles.  “And you, my dear, must be the resident Banshee.  How delightful to meet you.”

Lydia’s eyebrow executed a perfect arch before she carefully removed her hand from Deucalion’s.  “My name is Lydia Martin.  And yes, I am the resident Banshee for the Hale/McCall pack.  Also studying at Stanford.  Is there a reason you’re here without informing us in advance of your intentions?”  Her eyes bore into Deucalion’s, waiting patiently for a response.

Isaac barely stifled his chuckle.  It was not lost on Kali, who’s demeanor seemed to get darker as the moments ticked by.  Scott wondered how many times Deucalion had to make excuses for her behavior, or her actions. 

Deucalion smirked.  “No, no real reason.  Just was in the neighborhood and thought we’d pop in for a visit.  I don’t think we’ve ever been this way before, have we?  Seemed only fitting since Derek and Stiles have moved into an apartment within my jurisdiction in Los Angeles.”

“With your permission.”

“Excuse me?”  Kali spoke up again.  “Just what-“

“They moved there with Deucalion’s permission.”  Lydia turned her attention to Kali.  “Stiles is attending UCLA, Derek is now taking classes there to be close to Stiles.  They wanted an apartment off-campus, for obvious reasons, and they sought Deucalion’s blessing before formally moving there as a mated pair.”

Kali’s eyes glowed.  

“Yes, they did.  I could not find a reason to deny them the request, and it’s only while school is in session, I believe.  They naturally call Beacon Hills ‘home’ so there’s no reason to believe the rest of you would move down there, correct?”  

Deucalion had a way with words that made Scott uneasy.  He could sense it in the rest of them.  

“You still didn’t answer my question.”  Lydia, to the point, as always. 

“It wasn’t meant to be a threat,”  Aiden stepped forward this time, receiving a scathing glare from Kali.  Scott did not like her, at all.  Her motives were unclear and she obviously did not want to have anything to do with whatever Deucalion was planning.  “We really are traveling further north; we should have called in advance, at least let Derek know we would be in the area but it came up rather last minute.  We meant no offense.”

“None taken,” said Boyd.  “Just unexpected, and ‘unexpected’ doesn’t always mean ‘good’ in Beacon Hills.”  His statement released some of the tension hanging in the air; Scott welcomed the gentle (if not serious) jest at how prone to trouble Beacon Hills was.

At this, Deucalion chuckled lightly and held out his arms.  “Fair enough.”  His smile was disarming, and to the untrained eye, one would say ‘inviting’.  But Scott knew better, as did the rest of the pack.  

“Can we go now?  You’ve had your fun.”  Kali’s arms crossed as she leveled Scott and the rest of them with a glare.  It seemed to be her default setting.  “I do not want to be here, and we have a schedule.”

If Deucalion’s eyes hadn’t been hidden by his dark glasses, Scott would have seen an exaggerated eye roll to go along with the heavy exaggerated sigh.  “Very well, we shall continue on our journey,” he gestured toward the twins, “Can’t keep these two from classes longer than necessary, and Kali is clearly agitated at being here.”  As the three turned to make their way back to their vehicle, Deucalion took a step closer to Scott, beckoning him with a hand.  Boyd growled, but a quick hand from Erica kept him in place. 

“Yes?” Scott moved closer, keeping his hands down.  Lydia was almost pressed to his side.

“When you tell Derek about this, and I imagine you will almost as soon as we depart, please stress the importance of his contacting me in regards to the matter he and I previously discussed.”

Scott opened his mouth, but before he made a sound, Deucalion spoke again.  “He will know.”

Deucalion stepped back, Scott saw Kali over his shoulder.  There was something happening; the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as they made eye contact.  He felt the urge to shift, felt his hackles rise higher.  

“Soon.”

Scott’s eyes snapped back to Deucalion’s covered ones as the older wolf stepped back and bowed slightly.  “Apologies for the inconvenient visit, but thank you for understanding.  This has been a pleasant visit, and I am pleased to have made your acquaintances.”

Taking one more step back, he turned on his heel and left. 

It wasn’t until their car had left the lot that Scott felt Lydia’s nails digging into the meat of his bicep.

“I have to call Derek.”

 

\- - - - _Los Angeles_ \- - - - 

 

Stiles sat at the breakfast bar in their apartment idly munching away on frozen grapes and reading his genetics text when Derek’s phone rang.  

“It’s Scott!” He called out to Derek, who was sitting on the fire escape steps outside their window reading what Stiles thought were ‘rather awful’ essays on the Ming Dynasty and it’s contributions to Chinese culture.  “Hey dude, what’s up?”

“I need to talk to Derek.”

Stiles almost got offended when he realized that he HAD picked up Derek’s phone.  “Yea, I figured.  I called him in, he’s on the fire escape.”  That’s when Stiles picked up on the almost frantic tone.  “What’s wrong?”

Scott huffed.  “I’m not trying to be a dick, but I really need Derek.  Your dad is fine, everything in Beacon Hills is fine - but long story short, Deucalion came by-“

Stiles handed the phone to a broody-looking Derek before Scott finished talking.  “What do you mean, Deucalion came by?  He didn’t tell me he was going into Beacon Hills.”  Stiles went back to his barstool, no longer interested in genetics or frozen grapes, but also trusting Derek would let him know what was happening because Stiles felt himself vibrating out of his skin with the need to know what was happening that was so grave that Scott was so rushed to get Stiles off the phone.  

_Witches? Wizards? Something happened that could impact Beacon Hills? Deucalion is planning a coup? Deucalion is angry about their moving to LA even though its temporary?_ Scott said his dad was fine, but was that a _fine,_ as in _fine for now_?  _And what was Deucalion doing in Beacon Hills to begin with?  It’s not like there’s something there that could…_

“Does this have something to do with the fact I’m a turned were, and also kind of a warlock?”  As soon as the words left his mouth, Stiles mentally kicked himself for being self-centered.  There were OTHER things that happened in Beacon Hills that had nothing to do with him.  But at the same time, Deucalion, Stiles had learned, was a sort of ‘collector’ of things unique / rare.  Scott was a True Alpha, Lydia was a Banshee, Stiles was a uniquely turned Were with distinctive abilities not yet found in recorded histories… Stiles did not want to be part of a collection.  It would explain how the twins found their way into his pack though: twin Alphas.  Derek told Stiles a brief story of seeing the twins shift into one giant were and THAT ALONE was enough to give Stiles a few lacrosse-themed nightmares of facing an enormous hairy opponent.  Normal…

“Normal is a setting on a dryer…”  He thought this period of self-evaluation and self-doubt ended when Scott ate his cold lasagna in his backyard.  _We have to adjust to a new ‘normal’._   The realities of ‘new normal’ oftentimes outweighed ‘old normal’ in terms of abilities and potential outcomes/possibilities, but did not outweigh the risks and constant vigilance required when dealing with other supernatural beings.  Many of whom, it appeared, were rather aggressive in some form or another.  Or maybe those were just the ones that were attracted to people like Stiles.  Even Derek was aggressive in his own way; aggressive enough that Stiles feared for his life in the beginning part of their acquaintance considering how many things came after the Hales and then Scott, and Alison and her hunter family.  Not to mention the Winchesters and their ‘normal’ which Stiles still couldn’t wrap his mind around; not completely.  Virtually everyone they loved had died, at least once (themselves included, only to be brought back again), and they kept going. 

Stiles needed some air.  He didn’t register his movements until he was out the door and taking the stairs by threes until he reached the door out of their building.  L.A. was not a quiet city by any means, but Stiles was slowly learning how to drown out sounds and focus on what silence existed underneath the layers of city life.  He focused on his keys and wallet in his pockets, phone in his hand, shoes on his feet, the sounds his shoes made on the sidewalk, the warm air rising up under his chin and over his hair.  He clicked out a fast message to Derek, realizing then he had left him standing in the middle of the living room talking to Scott.  He hadn’t been listening to what was being said, but he thinks he probably should have been. 

_Needed to walk.  Started overthinking.  I’ll be back in thirty._

 

\- - - - _Derek, in the apartment_ \- - - - 

 

He registered the uptick in Stiles’ heart rate and his breathing, but couldn’t focus on much past Scott’s words.  Deucalion came by Beacon Hills with Kali, Aiden, and Ethan.  Everything went ‘swimmingly’ according to Lydia, using her patented brand of sarcasm. Derek would not have been so enraged by his visit if it hadn’t been for the conversation they had had about Kali, his second.  When Scott conveyed Deucalion’s message to him, Derek realized why Deucalion didn’t call him in advance, and why he waited for Kali to drop back before giving Scott the message.  

He hung up the phone and saw the message from Stiles telling him he would return in 30 minutes.  Derek knew better than to follow; he also needed to clear his head and figure out how to tell Stiles what was happening.  He clicked back a response and made his way back out to the fire escape. 

They’d had run-ins before, when Kali was a young Alpha in Deucalion’s pack and Derek was still a Beta under his mother.  Derek knows in his bones that if Kali could have killed his parents, she would have.  Derek also knows Kali would not drag Deucalion into a personal vendetta, not without taking precautions that he would unquestionably back her in her actions.  Kali was ruthless, much like Deucalion.  But the difference between them lay in the fact that Kali very little, if any, sense of guilt in her actions, nor did she have the ability to take others into account when making potentially life-altering decisions.  She would not have survived as a solo Alpha.  Derek knew that early on, before Deucalion found her, before she became an Alpha, Kali was a surprisingly normal person.  It was the death of her lover, Ennis, that tipped Kali over the edge.  Kali blamed Peter for reasons Derek never figured out, and no one ever bothered to tell him.  Derek brought it up once with Peter and nearly lost an eye; Talia was less than pleased with Peter’s reaction but also went Alpha on Derek when she told him never to bring it up again.

Looking back at his early life, Derek was rather selfish and arrogant, naive and stubborn.  He was still selfish, especially when it came to Stiles, and he knew that some found him ‘aloof.’  His pack knew who he was, Stiles knew who he was.  He was not proud of his mistakes in life, and he didn’t ever think he’d shake the profound guilt he felt over his past actions.  Whenever Stiles mentioned ‘normal’, Derek considered how his life was more akin to that of the Winchesters rather than those of Beacon Hills.  Everything they loved, had ever loved, had been ripped from them in some fashion; but they persisted. 

A hard lump formed in his throat and in the pit of his stomach. 

Kali was out for Stiles.  Deucalion had figured that much out when news of his ‘turning’ reached various in the Were community.  Truth was, Kali was bad for business.  But she was careful, and dangerous.  And she held grudges.  Kali knew it was in her best interests to remain as Deucalion’s second, and being her Alpha, she was under his protection.  To excommunicate another Alpha would cause uneasiness in the community; lone Alphas seldom kept their civility and their conscience.  

Derek glanced at the time and saw he had about fifteen minutes before Stiles returned.  He closed his eyes and imagined he could smell Stiles on the fall air.  Warmth wafted up from the streets below, blending with the cooler air making its way between the buildings.  

_Stiles_. Who was so understanding despite everything, and so much stronger than Derek gave him credit for.  He challenged Derek about a week after moving in, told him to stop pulling his punches during their sparring sessions in Deucalion’s gym after hours.  Told him he wasn’t a ‘delicate flower’.  Derek tried to laugh it off, but Stiles hit him with blast of light that knocked him square in the chest and threw him back several feet.  Derek felt his face shift and claws grip the floor as he geared up to retaliate.  He caught his breath, simultaneously thanking Deucalion for allowing them use of his space for their training.  When he glared up at Stiles, he was met with the blood-orange eyes and two pale orbs of light balancing inches over Stiles’ open palms. 

_Call me ‘delicate’ one more time, Sourwolf._ Derek thought he heard a tease under the harsh tone, but didn’t want to risk it.  He shifted back and saw the two orbs dissipate into the air, as if they never existed.  His eyes remained the same.  Derek didn’t pull his punches after that; it wasn’t doing Stiles (or him, for that matter) any favors.  In that moment, Derek realized it wasn’t just a literal statement Stiles had made - despite everything that had happened, Derek was still shielding Stiles from certain things, like Deucalion.  And Kali.   

_Stop pulling your punches, Derek._

Derek called Deucalion.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that some of you may have taken issue with the opening sequence of Derek talking to Stiles about the issues he was having being a TA; I have been on the receiving end of accusations of misconduct when a student did not get the grade s/he thought s/he deserved. I was meticulous in reporting instances of inappropriate behavior on the student's part, and also logged parent conversations.   
> I have also been on the receiving end of unsolicited advances from someone in a position of authority, and because I feared repercussions, did not report it. Fear is a powerful force; it messes with self-confidence, self-image, self-worth, everything that makes us who we are. No one should live with that sort of fear. While I can only speak for myself, I came out of these situations stronger, with a more level head, and a greater capacity for self-advocating because I realize that I am the only one that can speak up for me, and in some rare cases, speak up for others. Needless to say, I take things like this very seriously because they do happen, to men and women alike. If you, the reader, have something to say that may not necessarily be... appropriate... for this sort of forum, email me at echelonvenus@aol.com. 
> 
>  
> 
> AND on a lighter note: Thank you again everyone for reading and leaving me messages. I do read them, though I may not always respond in a timely manner.


End file.
